


I’ve Got a Problem, Poppins.

by Skairipa_100



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Angst, Badass Dani, Badass Jamie, Dancing, Danger, F/F, Falling In Love, Flirting, Hannah is the Director of MI5, Happy Ending, Henry is an important member of Parliament, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Jamie is an MI5 Agent, Mutual Pining, No Lesbians Die, Protective Jamie, Sexual Content, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, So are Owen and Rebecca, Viola and Peter are bad guys but they are not ghosts, Violence, damie - Freeform, dani is still the au pair, no ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:35:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 77,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28099290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skairipa_100/pseuds/Skairipa_100
Summary: Jamie Taylor is a tough-as-nails MI5 agent who never lets anyone get too close.  Love is weakness, a liability, she believes.  When her team is assigned as the protective detail for Henry Wingrave and his family, Agent Taylor realizes she has a problem— she’s falling for Dani Clayton, the American au pair she has been assigned to protect.  When the mission goes terribly wrong, Jamie finds herself trapped with Dani in a foreign country and separated from her team.  With assassins Viola Willoughby and Peter Quint hot on their trail, can Jamie keep Dani safe?  Will they make it out alive?  Or will Jamie’s growing feelings for Dani compromise the mission?Or... the Damie spy thriller no one asked for.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 580
Kudos: 533





	1. The Assignment

MI5 Agent Jamie Taylor awakened to the alert of a text message. She groaned and rolled over to grab her phone from the nightstand. _What time even is it?_ She glanced at the clock, the digital readout illuminating her face in a green glow. 5:00am. Still an hour until her alarm was set to go off.

“Shit,” she muttered, opening the message. It was from her boss, Director General Hannah Grose.

MEETING. HQ. 7AM. NEW ASSIGNMENT. TOP PRIORITY.

“Doubt shit,” she muttered again, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes.

Jamie Taylor was tired. She has just returned from a mission and had barely slept five hours. She ran her fingers through her curly brown hair and checked the recipients of the message. The whole team was included. _This must be a big one._ Jamie was part of an elite team at MI5. A team with a… particular skill set. She loved her job. It was all she had ever known. But sometimes the constant uncertainty drained her. This was one of those times.

“Get it together, Taylor,” she said to herself as she trudged into the bathroom to take a shower, wondering what her next adventure would be.

At 6:45am, Agent Jamie Taylor strode into MI5 Headquarters at the Thames House, nodding to security as she walked in.

“Good morning, Agent Taylor,” the guard greeted her.

“Is it?” She asked, as she walked past him.

The guard just smiled and shrugged as he buzzed her in. This was her usual greeting and he took comfort in the fact that Agent Taylor was consistently and predictably disagreeable.

Jamie took the lift to her floor and walked purposefully to the conference room, not stopping to speak to anyone along the way. She threw open the door to the conference room and saw her teammates already seated.

“There she is!” Agent Owen Sharma greeted her enthusiastically. 

“I’m not late,” Jamie responded dryly, joining them at the table.

“And a very good morning to you, too,” Owen replied, smiling.

“Hey, Jamie,” Agent Rebecca Jessel said.

“How’s it going, Rebecca?” Jamie replied, ignoring Owen but winking in his direction.

“Alright. Any idea what we’ve been called in so early for?” Rebecca asked.

Before anyone could respond, Director Grose entered the conference room.

“Oh good, you’re all here already,” she said. “I appreciate you all coming in so early.”

The three agents only nodded as Hannah turned on the large TV monitor used for mission briefings. Jamie always felt tense in this moment before being given her next mission, as if she was standing on a precipice, the unknown swirling beneath her feet in a dangerous and enticing invitation. 

Hannah began, “This mission is a little different than your usual, but we need the best on this one.”

Jamie sat a little straighter in her chair. Hannah put a photo of Henry Wingrave on the screen. Jamie instantly recognized him as a member of Parliament.

“Henry Wingrave,” Hannah stated. “Mr. Wingrave, as you may be aware, is a key member of Parliament and the head of the anti-terrorism task force. He has consistently worked to thwart illegal arms deals and crack down on the smuggling of weapons into and out of the country. Unfortunately, Mr. Wingrave’s actions have put a target on his back. He has been making things very difficult for certain terrorist organizations and cartels lately. When someone can’t be bought or blackmailed, the next step is to neutralize them, in whatever form that may take.”

Jamie heard a sharp intake of breath coming from Owen. 

Hannah continued, “Mr. Wingrave has been invited to speak at a peace summit in Cairo this week. He insists on going and will not be dissuaded. And, trust me, I did try to dissuade him.”

“Cairo? Not really the time to be leaving the country, is it?” Jamie asked.

“He told me that he will not be intimidated by terrorists and he sees this trip as a statement,” Hannah responded, trying to keep her own emotions on the matter neutral.

“So, you need us to protect Wingrave?” Owen inferred.

“Not just Wingrave,” Hannah responded. She clicked a button on the remote and two photos replaced Henry’s on the screen. “These are Miles and Flora Wingrave. His niece and nephew. He has had sole custody of them since their parents died in an accident a year ago. He will be bringing them with him to Cairo. He believes it will be a great educational experience for them.”

Jamie scoffed. “So, not only is he putting himself in danger with this trip, but these wee gremlins, too?! And you expect us to, what, babysit them? I’m not a babysitter, Director.”

Owen and Rebecca both cut their eyes at Jamie, silently warning her to stand down.

Hannah was unbothered by Jamie’s question. “No, Agent Taylor, I don’t expect you to protect the children. That task will go to Agent Jessel,” she said, looking in Rebecca’s direction. Rebecca nodded in acknowledgment.

“So, I have Wingrave then?” Jamie asked, feeling slightly better about the situation. She preferred to have the high-value target.

“No, the protection of Mr. Wingrave will go to Agent Sharma,” Hannah stated calmly.

Jamie was truly puzzled now. Why was she here? Hannah could see the questions in her eyes and advanced to the next slide. There was a photo of a woman. A beautiful, blonde woman, Jamie thought.

“Agent Taylor, meet Danielle Clayton. Goes by Dani. She’s their American au pair. She will be traveling with the family. Dani Clayton is your assignment.”

“Wait, so Owen gets a fancy member of Parliament and I get Poppins?” Jamie asked, incredulous. 

Owen and Rebecca both snickered at the nickname and Hannah glared at all three of them.

“Yes, Agent Taylor. You have been entrusted with the safety and well-being of an American. I’m sure you can understand the implications of that, and I trust you are up to the task.”

“Yes, Director,” Jamie replied, properly chastised. She glanced back up at the woman’s photo and felt something she couldn’t quite describe. She was still a little offended that she was not assigned to Wingrave, but she would always perform her duty to the highest standard. This American would be completely safe with her, she silently vowed. She was staring at the photo for so long that she didn’t notice that Hannah was distributing files on their assignments. She now had a folder in front of her labeled “Clayton, Danielle” and she found herself eager to read the contents of the file. But it would have to wait just a little longer, as Hannah had resumed speaking.

“Many of our agents could have taken this mission. But, this is not just a protection detail,” Hannah said solemnly. Jamie’s ears perked up. What more was there to this mission?

Hannah continued, “We have received credible intel on a threat to all four of your assignments while they are in Cairo. Viola Willoughby has them in her cross hairs.”

Jamie got chills. So this was it. This was why her team was chosen. It was all starting to make sense. Viola Willoughby was the leader of the biggest weapons cartel in Europe. She was full of rage and sowed seeds of chaos wherever she went, destabilizing governments and filling the leadership vacuum with those loyal to her. Jamie and her team had been tracking her for years. They had almost caught her a few times, too, but Viola always got away. Jamie had several scars on her body thanks to run ins with Viola Willoughby. If Jamie had an arch-nemesis, it was her. And then there was the matter of Peter…

It was as if Rebecca had read her mind. “And Peter?” She asked Hannah.

Hannah let out a deep breath. “Yes, we have reason to believe Peter Quint will be in Cairo. If he can’t take Wingrave out directly, his orders are to use the children and the au pair to get to him. We expect him to make an abduction attempt on one or all three of them if he cannot kill Wingrave. If he has them, he and Viola can use them as leverage against Wingrave.”

Rebecca looked down at her hands. Owen whistled. Jamie felt every muscle in her body tense.

“I trust this won’t be a problem for any of you,” Hannah said.

“Not at all, Director,” Jamie replied quickly. “Give us a chance to catch the bastard.”

Peter had been a member of their team once. And he had betrayed them all. Now he was an assassin for Viola. And he was damn good at what he did. This was personal to them. Especially to Rebecca. Jamie was suddenly very aware of Rebecca sitting next to her. She could never prove it, but she suspected something had gone on between the two. This was exactly why relationships were forbidden, Jamie thought. It’s part of the reason why Jamie kept herself closed off. It was easier that way. She would never be compromised like that. She wouldn’t allow it. Love was weakness, a vulnerability that could be exploited.

Hannah’s words snapped Jamie back to the present. “Your primary mission is to protect the Wingraves and the au pair. That must come first. If, in the course of that, you were to apprehend or kill Peter Quint or Viola Willoughby, well, that would make the mission a resounding success, wouldn’t it?”

Jamie spoke. “Just to confirm, Director, this is a shoot to kill mission?”

“Affirmative, Agent Taylor. That is your specialty, is it not?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jamie replied matter of factly.

Rebecca only continued to look down at her hands. Hannah noticed.

“Will that be a problem, Agent Jessel?”

“No, ma’am. Understood,” Rebecca replied.

“Good,” Hannah said. “You can understand why you were chosen for this. No other team has the history you all do with Willoughby and Quint. You’re also the only team I trust to protect this family. This is a dangerous mission. I want everyone to come home from it. Take the next couple of hours to review your files and pack your things. You will meet your assignments at the airport this evening. From there, you will take a private jet to Cairo. Good luck, agents. You are dismissed.”

The three agents filed out of the conference room, the air thick between them. 

“Everyone alright?” Owen asked. It was just like him to always check in with everyone, Jamie thought.

“Yeah. This is a big one, mate,” Jamie replied.

“Oh, come on, you know you love the dangerous ones best,” Owen said playfully, bumping into her shoulder. “Plus, you get the pretty one.”

“Oh, you noticed that, did ya? Well, you best be worrying about your own target and not my pretty little American,” Jamie said back, equally playful.

“So, she’s already your’s, huh?”

“I hate you. So much. You know that, right?” Jamie said, teasingly. “At least I didn’t get the kids.”

Rebecca finally joined in. “Director Grose knows better than to let you anywhere near children, Taylor. You’d teach them to cuss by the end of day one,” she joked.

“No, I fuckin’ wouldn’t. That’s some shite, Jessel, and you know it.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Rebecca replied with an eye roll.

They had exited the building and were getting ready to part ways. The mood turned serious.

“We’ll look out for each other and this family, won’t we?” Owen said.

“Yeah, yeah we will. And then we’ll all come home,” Jamie replied. “Besides, I wouldn’t want my plants to think I’d abandoned them,” she couldn’t help but add to lighten the mood.

“You and your plants,” Owen said, shaking his head.

“What?! I like them better than all of you put together,” she said, smirking. 

“Only you believe that,” Owen replied.

Jamie returned to her flat to study the mission case file. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she was eager to learn more about Dani Clayton. She made some tea and sat down at her kitchen table. She opened the file and stared at the photo of the American that was paper clipped to the inside. She was objectively very pretty, Jamie thought. She was smiling in the photo. But not a fake smile, a real one that reached her deep blue eyes. Jamie began reading about Dani. From Iowa. Nine years of teaching experience in the States. Mother Karen is an alcoholic. Father not in the picture. Came to London about a year ago. Was engaged to one Edmund O’Mara. Engagement ended. No mention of why. After about 6 months, got the au pair job with the Wingraves. Has been with them since.

And that was all the file really said. Jamie wanted to know more. What makes a young American give up everything to move across the pond and care for someone else’s children? _What are you running away from, Dani Clayton?_ And now, this same young woman was about to be caught up in an international espionage plot. _Do you have any idea what you have stumbled into, Dani Clayton? Are you scared? Because you should be._ Jamie shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, Dani did not need to be scared. Because she had one of MI5’s top agents assigned to protect her. Dani would be safe. Jamie would see to it. And, if she happened to take down a few terrorists in the process, all the better.

Jamie closed the file and packed her things. She traveled light and always kept a “go bag” handy. She watered her plants and made sure her apartment was tidy. And then, she left for the airport. It was time to meet Dani Clayton.


	2. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read chapter 1, left comments, gave kudos, bookmarked, or subscribed! I wasn’t sure if people would be enthusiastic about this concept, so I’m so relieved to see that you all are interested. This will probably be a fairly long story, so settle in! Please let me know what you think in the comments— you have no idea how happy those make me. :) Enjoy chapter 2!

Dani Clayton was scared. This was not what she signed up for when she came to England. Mr. Wingrave had informed her just yesterday about their trip to Egypt, as well as the possible danger that awaited them there. While she was excited to see a new country and already mentally planning the places she would take Miles and Flora, she was scared about the threats made against them. She knew Mr. Wingrave was withholding information, but what he did tell her was enough to worry her. Something about a terrorist organization and weapons deals. He said they were just trying to intimidate him and that Dani and the children would be “perfectly safe.” Dani wanted to believe him, but she knew enough to know that MI5 didn’t get involved unless there was a credible threat. She had seen enough movies to know that. Dani didn’t necessarily think it was a good idea to put the children in danger like this, but he had assured her that they would all be protected. And, what could she do? He was her boss. If he wanted her to go with them, she would go.

Dani was staring out the window of the limo, watching the world outside blur as they drove past. They were on their way to the airport. She couldn’t believe they were really doing this. She’d barely had time to process it.

“Miss Clayton,” Henry began. “I’ve received word from MI5 about our security detail. It seems that they have assigned you your own agent, separate from the children.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, an Agent Jamie Taylor. That’s all I know, I’m afraid. Agent Taylor will be waiting for you at the airport.”

“What about us, Uncle Henry?” Flora asked excitedly. This was all a big adventure to her. They hadn’t told the children why they were all getting new “friends” for the trip.

“You, my dear, will be spending time with Agent Rebecca Jessel,” Henry said cheerfully.

“Oh, she sounds perfectly splendid!” Flora responded.

Dani went back to staring out the window. _Agent Jamie Taylor._ That’s who she would be spending the next week with. Dani pictured him as a middle age white man in a suit with not an ounce of humor in him. She sighed. It was going to be a long week.

They drove on the tarmac directly to their plane at the private airport. MI5 did not want them flying commercially. Dani had never been on a private jet before. As they drove up, she saw three agents waiting for them at the bottom of the steps to the plane. They all wore black and white suits and looked very intimidating, like _Men in Black,_ Dani mused to herself. All they needed were the sunglasses. Dani wondered which one was her’s. Much to her relief, none of them looked like what she had imagined. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the brunette, who stood a head shorter than the others. Could that be Jamie Taylor?

Dani and the Wingraves got out of the car. Dani hung back with the children while Henry went to greet the agents, shaking hands with each of them in turn. They then walked over to Dani, Miles, and Flora.

“And you two must be Miles and Flora! I’m Rebecca,” Agent Jessel said, kneeling down to greet the children.

“Oh yes, and it’s perfectly splendid to meet you! We are going to have the best time this week. We are going to see the pyramids and ride the camels and do everything together!” Flora said, the words tumbling out.

Rebecca laughed and offered her hand to Flora, leading her towards the plane and listening to her the whole way. Miles shrugged and followed after them. Dani was thankful that Agent Jessel was so warm and was already making the children feel comfortable. Henry was engaged in conversation with his agent, who had introduced himself as Owen Sharma. Dani could feel the brunette’s eyes on her.

“So, you must be Dani Clayton then?”

“Th-that’s right,” Dani said nervously. The agent had the best voice she had ever heard. 

“Agent Jamie Taylor. Nice to meet ya,” Jamie said, offering her hand.

Dani shook her hand and tried not to think about how attractive Agent Taylor was. She laughed awkwardly.

“Something funny, Poppins?” Jamie asked.

Dani laughed again. _Poppins_.   
  


“No, ummm, it’s just that you’re not what I was expecting,” Dani said.

“Hmm, and what were you expecting?”

“A- a man,” Dani stammered.

“Sorry to disappoint you there,” Jamie replied.

“Oh, I’m not disappointed!” Dani said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. The speed of her response was not lost on Jamie.

Jamie smirked. “Good to know. Well, shall we?” She asked, gesturing towards the plane.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Dani was suddenly feeling much more interested in this trip as she followed Agent Taylor.

“Wow,” Dani said as she entered the plane.

“First time flying on one of these?” Jamie asked.

“Yeah, I’m used to being crammed into a middle seat. This is just…wow.”

Jamie smiled. She could already tell that Dani was someone with a zest for life, who always found something to be excited about. She imagined she could do worse than spend the week with the enthusiastic American.

Henry and Owen were already sitting at a table, lost in conversation, pouring over files. Rebecca had taken the children to the back of the plane. Dani moved to join them, but a gentle hand on her arm stopped her. 

“They’re in good hands with Agent Jessel,” Jamie said. “It’s important for each of us to spend the flight working with our individual assignments, going over protocol and such. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to spend at least some of the flight sitting up here with me,” she said, gesturing towards two seats near the front of the plane.

“Oh. Yeah, of course, that’s fine,” Dani said quickly. “I mean, I could use a break anyway, you know?”

“Do you want the window seat?” Jamie asked.

“Umm no, I’m actually pretty scared of flying. The less I can see of it, the better. How long is this flight again?” Dani asked nervously as she sat down next to Jamie, who had moved to the window seat.

“About 5 hours,” Jamie replied. “Anything I can do to help you?” Jamie was surprised that Dani had so openly admitted to her fear of flying. That vulnerability made Jamie want to make things as comfortable as possible for the au pair, although she didn’t really know why. Typically, she would have been annoyed sitting with someone so jittery.

“Just talk to me,” Dani answered in response to her question. “You know, distract me. That helps.”

“Got it, Poppins. Five hours of distractions coming right up.”

Dani giggled.

“Sorry, is it okay that I call you that? It’s just sort of how I thought about you the instant I was given this assignment,” Jamie confessed.

“Yeah, it’s okay. I like it, actually,” Dani replied, smiling. Then she added, “So, I’ve never been someone’s ‘assignment’ before. This is all pretty strange for me. I mean, you’re MI5. That’s kind of a big deal.”

Before Jamie could respond, the pilot made an announcement that they would be preparing for takeoff. The kids cheered in the back. Henry did not react at all. Dani took a deep breath and tightened her seatbelt.

Jamie was thinking about what Dani had said. _An assignment._ That was all this was, right? Why was Jamie looking forward to spending the next week with the au pair? She knew she needed to be careful and keep things professional. It was hard though when she found herself just so curious about Dani. She wanted to know more about her. Jamie looked out the window as the plane picked up speed. She felt, rather than saw, Dani tense up next to her. She looked over to see the young woman gripping the arm rests. She resisted the urge to reach out and take her hand. Why did she even have that urge? Jamie turned back to the window as the plane lifted off the ground. It was, unfortunately, a windy day in London and the small plane hit turbulence almost immediately. The plane felt like it was dropping for a split second as it was buffered by the wind. Dani gasped and instinctively reached for Jamie’s hand, finding it and holding it tight. Jamie was startled by the contact but didn’t flinch away. She let Dani hold her hand and rubbed her thumb over the back of Dani’s hand in soothing circles. She looked over at the au pair to discover that she was squeezing her eyes shut and trying to breathe, her hand in a death grip with Jamie’s.

“It’s going to be okay. We just have to get above the clouds a bit and the turbulence will stop,” Jamie said calmly. “Hey, look at me, Dani,” she added gently, still holding her hand and squeezing back. 

The plane continued to be rocked by the turbulence. It sounded to Dani like the whole plane could rip apart. Dani opened one eye and glanced over at Jamie.

“You’re okay,” Jamie said. “You can open your eyes. Just look at me. I’ve done a poor job of distracting you thus far, so I need to make it up to you.”

That earned a small smile from Dani, who seemed to have just realized she was holding the agent’s hand. She let go quickly.

“I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have—“

“It’s okay, really,” Jamie replied, secretly missing the contact. “See? The plane’s leveling off already. Smooth sailing to Cairo.”

“I hope you’re right about that. Sorry I freaked out. I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again though,” she said, feeling embarrassed.

“I think I can handle it,” Jamie said confidently. “I’ve seen worse.”

“Yeah, I bet you’ve seen all sorts of things.”

“I’ve seen a thing or two in my time, yeah,” Jamie answered. “But, for right now, let’s get to work. Ok?”

“Ok,” Dani said timidly.

“How much do you know about what you’re getting into here?”

“Not much, honestly. Maybe you better start at the beginning,” Dani suggested.

Jamie told her was she was cleared to tell Dani, which admittedly wasn’t much. She briefly explained Viola’s criminal enterprise to Dani and how Henry Wingrave was a threat to her. She mentioned Peter Quint but did not share his connection to the team. She did not mince words with Dani when it came to the threats against her and the children. She needed Dani to understand the danger she was in and that she needed to do everything that Jamie told her to do. It was all for her own safety. The thought of Viola, Peter, or any of their associates hurting Dani or the children made anger well up in Jamie. They were innocent and not a part of this life at all. To some extent, Henry had chosen this, but Dani and the children had not. Dani listened quietly to everything Jamie said, not interrupting her. Jamie could feel a weight settle on Dani that was not there before as she began to understand how precarious her situation was. Jamie decided to check in with her, telling herself that knowing Dani’s mental state was critical to the success of her mission.

“I know that’s a lot to take in. How are you holding up, Poppins?”

“Honestly, I’m a little scared,” Dani admitted.

“Good,” Jamie said matter of factly.

“Good?” Dani questioned.

“Yeah, it means you won’t do anything stupid. Makes you more likely to listen to me,” Jamie said.

Dani nodded. “I guess I just didn’t realize we were in quite this much danger. Henry, he uh, didn’t make it seem like it was a big deal. You know?”

Jamie suspected as much. She wished that Henry had been more forthright. Maybe Dani would have chosen not to go. But, Jamie reminded herself, the same threats could find her in London, too. 

“I’m glad you’re here though,” Dani added quietly. It tore at Jamie’s heart.

“Me too,” she said back, immediately knowing she shouldn’t have said it. Her regret was short lived when she saw Dani smile in response. That smile was doing things to her. Jamie wanted to see it again. Wanted to be the reason for it. “I’m going to keep you safe, Dani. That’s my job, and I’m damn good at it,” Jamie said confidently. _Way to go, Taylor, you doubled down instead of shutting up._

As predicted, Dani smiled. “So, how is this going to work? With us?” Dani asked.

_Us._ The word hung between them for a moment. Both of them feeling the weight of it, the possibility of it. And both of them also knowing that this was strictly a business arrangement.

Jamie cleared her throat. “This is how it’s going to go, Poppins. For the next week, you don’t do anything without me. You don’t go anywhere without me. You are by my side the entire time. You don’t go into a room until I’ve cleared it. You don’t talk to strangers unless I’m present. You will do everything I tell you to do immediately and without question. Hesitation could cost you your life. Do you understand?”

Dani nodded. “Yes, I understand,” she said quietly. The intensity in which Jamie spoke scared Dani. She knew this was serious. Jamie was essentially her bodyguard, and that suddenly made Dani feel very guilty. She had only just met this woman, but she did not want her risking her life for her. She was no one. Dani furrowed her brows.

“What’s going on in that head of your’s?” Jamie asked. Dani was surprised that Jamie had picked up on the shift in her mood, but she also guessed that’s what she had been trained to do. She decided to be honest.

“It’s just that, I don’t really like that you are going to be in danger because of me,” Dani replied.

Jamie laughed. “Dani, I’m in danger every day. This is my job. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“But, it’s just that… I’m not worth all of this.”

The comment made Jamie sad, but she didn’t delve into it. “Well, the British government says otherwise. So, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Don’t worry, you’ll be rid of me in a week.”

That didn’t make Dani feel better at all. The thought of saying goodbye to Jamie Taylor in a week made Dani feel sick. It didn’t even make sense. They had only just met. What was this connection she felt to the agent? She needed to let it go. She was only an assignment to the other woman. Nothing more.

“Do you have any other questions about how this will work?” Jamie asked gently, trying to reassure Dani.

A question did occur to Dani. “What about, you know, our sleeping arrangements?”

“We’ll be sharing a hotel room, if that’s what you’re asking,” Jamie replied. “We can’t let our guard down, especially at night. We’ll have an adjoining room with Agent Jessel and the children.”

Though neither would admit it, that thought did something to both of them. They would be spending their nights together. Dani decided to lighten the mood a bit.

“Ok, so ummm, do I get to go to the bathroom on my own?”

Jamie laughed. “Yeah, you can do that. But, only after I check it first, make sure no beasties are lurking in the shower,” she said, winking for good measure.

“Well, I hope you’ll also check under the bed for monsters then,” Dani teased.

“Oh yes, that’s part of the package deal. I shoot monsters under the bed on sight. They teach us how to do that in spy school, you know?”

“You really are a woman of many talents,” Dani replied.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Jamie said, without a hint of irony.

Dani’s throat suddenly felt dry. She wanted to have an idea of those talents, she really did. _Pull yourself together, Dani. Don’t flirt with the sexy agent._

“Maybe I should go check on the kids,” Dani said. She needed some space.

“Yeah, of course. I’m sure they’re missing you.” 

Jamie felt the loss of Dani’s presence almost immediately. She was only a few feet away from her, but Jamie liked having her right next to her. Something about Dani soothed her. The flight was going by way too quickly. But, Jamie also knew that she need a moment of separation to rein her thoughts in. She had to remain objective. This had never, ever been a problem for her before. If she did not remain objective, she could make a mistake. And, she absolutely did not want to make a mistake where Dani Clayton was concerned. She stared out the window, but there wasn’t much to see. It was dark. Jamie knew she should probably get some rest, but her mind was racing. Dani returned ten minutes later.

“How are they holding up?” Jamie asked.

“I think they like Agent Jessel better than me now,” Dani laughed. “They are totally fine.”

“See? Nothing to worry about. They are in very capable hands.”

_So am I,_ Dani thought. 

Jamie went over a couple more details with Dani and they discussed the schedule for the week, including the sight seeing Dani wanted to do with the kids. But, it was getting late and both women were growing tired. Everyone else on the plane was already asleep and they were whispering now.

“What do you say we get some shut eye?” Jamie asked. She got up and pulled two blankets from the overhead compartment, handing one to Dani.

“Yeah, I’m pretty tired. I’m not usually very good at sleeping on planes though,” Dani said, accepting the blanket and spreading it out over herself.

“But, have you been on a plane with reclining seats like this?” Jamie asked, reclining her’s back in demonstration.

“Oh wow, no!” Dani said in a excited whisper, leaning her’s back, too, and realizing she was essentially laying down next to Jamie, their faces inches apart. Jamie realized it, too.

“Right. Well, sleep well then, Poppins,” Jamie said somewhat awkwardly.

“Goodnight, Agent Taylor. I can’t thank you enough for everything.”

_Agent Taylor_. That didn’t feel right to Jamie all of a sudden.

“You can call me Jamie. You know, when we’re alone.”

It was dark but Jamie could hear the smile in Dani’s voice.

“Goodnight then…Jamie,” Dani whispered.

_Yes, that was better._


	3. The Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad you all are already enjoying Agent Jamie so much. That makes me really happy! :)

The pilot’s voice over the intercom woke all of the sleeping passengers up. Dani groaned, but realized with surprise that she had actually managed to sleep on the plane. She looked over at Jamie, who was fighting to get her seat back in its upright position. She noticed Dani staring at her.

“Yeah, this is a not a skill they teach us in spy school,” she said sarcastically, finally winning her battle with the chair as it snapped back into position, nearly flinging her forward.

Dani’s chair went up with no issues, putting a smirk on her face, which of course, Jamie noticed.

“Think it’s funny, do ya, Poppins?” Jamie said, her tone playful.

“Yeah, I do, a little. Big, bad agent defeated by an airplane seat,” Dani replied.

“Oh, so that’s how’s it gonna be then?” Jamie asked, clearly loving the teasing.

“Yeah, that’s how it gonna be.”

“Good to know. Now I’m not gonna go easy on you.”

“I would expect nothing less, Agent Taylor,” Dani said, winking.

Jamie’s mouth went dry. Did Dani just _wink_ at her? Was she flirting? Jamie’s panicked thoughts were interrupted by the plane beginning its descent, which quickly changed Dani’s mood from playful to nervous. Dani glanced back at the other passengers on the plane. Everyone was calm. It was just her who was nervous, and that didn’t make her feel any better. Dani felt her stomach drop as the plane descended, but she was determined not to grab Jamie’s hand again. She didn’t want her to think she was weak. Of course, Jamie noticed the brave face Dani was putting on. But, Jamie didn’t want her to suffer in silence or try to be something she wasn’t. Jamie placed her hand, palm up, on their shared armrest. She elbowed Dani and nodded in the direction of her hand to draw her attention to it.

“You know, if you need it,” Jamie said quietly.

Dani’s eyes locked on Jamie’s and searched them for a moment, looking for any sign of humor or joking. Finding only sincerity, she slipped her hand into Jamie’s. _Perfect fit_ , she thought.

“Thank you,” she mouthed to Jamie.

“Anytime. But, if you tell anyone that I needed to have my hand held on this flight, I’ll deny it. In fact, I’ll hand you over to Viola myself. Can’t have anything tarnishing my tough as nails reputation, ya hear me?” Jamie said.

Dani laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.” She couldn’t put into words how the thoughtful gesture touched her. And, the fact that Jamie made it seem like _she_ needed to hold Dani’s hand just to spare her some embarrassment did something to her. But then again, Dani thought, Jamie probably does this on all her missions. She shouldn’t read anything into it other than the agent just being nice. All the same, Dani held Jamie’s hand until they had safely touched down. The flight seemed less scary with her hand in Jamie’s.

The plane came to a stop away from the main terminal. Two black SUVs were parked there waiting for them and their luggage was already being loaded in. Agent Sharma moved to the front of the plane to address the group.

“Ok, this is how it’s going to go,” he began. “We are going to exit the plane quickly and orderly. Mr. Wingrave, you will get into the first SUV with me. Ms. Clayton, Miles, and Flora, you three will go to the second one with Agents Jessel and Taylor. We will go directly to the hotel. There will be no stops. Do not roll your windows down. Do not post on social media. Understood?”

Everyone nodded. Agent Sharma then opened the airplane door.

“Welcome to Egypt,” he said.

“You stay behind me, yeah?” Jamie said to Dani. Dani could feel the shift in Jamie. Gone were the jokes and smirks. This was not Jamie; this was Agent Taylor. Dani nodded, feeling nervous again. Was Jamie worried they were going to be shot as soon as they exited the plane? Was this how it was going to be all week?

Jamie and Dani were the first ones off the plane. Jamie walked with purpose towards their SUV and Dani followed close behind. Jamie opened the backseat for Dani and she climbed in quickly. Jamie went around to the driver’s side and got in. Dani had barely scooted over when Agent Jessel began loading Miles and Flora into the backseat next to her. Rebecca then got in the front with Jamie. Dani saw Henry and Owen get in the SUV in front of them.

“This is so exciting!” Flora exclaimed.

Dani wished she could share in that excitement, but she did her best to smile as she helped the children buckle up. Once Jamie saw that everyone was secured, she put the SUV in drive and sped away.

Jamie and Rebecca were speaking quickly and quietly to each other in the front seat, speaking mostly in code so Dani didn’t understand, but she knew it was concerning their safety and what route they were using to get to the hotel. Jamie and Rebecca both received a text at the same time, and Dani watched Jamie read it on her smart watch as she drove. Jamie cut her eyes at Rebecca and then abruptly turned down a different street. Owen had done the same in front of them. Something had prompted them to choose a different route at the last minute. Dani’s eyes met Jamie’s in the rear view mirror. Jamie knew that Dani knew exactly what was happening. Jamie marveled at how Dani was able to keep things light for the children and remain so composed. She wondered if that composure would hold if she knew about the sniper they had just narrowly avoided on their original route. Peter Quint was already in position. The danger they were in was very real. _We should have never come here_ , Jamie thought.

Dani could see the tension in Jamie’s shoulders from her spot directly behind her. She wished she were sitting next to her again. She felt too far away in the backseat. But, she was glad that Jamie was the one driving. She felt safe with her behind the wheel.

As they got closer to downtown, traffic was thicker and they could barely make any progress. Jamie hated being boxed in like this. It made them an easy target. She kept stealing glances at Dani sitting behind her. Dani was busy trying to entertain the children, but Jamie could tell that her smile was not reaching her eyes. She wondered if Dani already regretted coming on this trip. She glanced over at Rebecca, who was busy texting. She wondered who she could possibly be texting in the middle of a mission like this. Finally, after what seemed like forever to Jamie, they made it to their hotel. It was a swanky hotel in the middle of downtown Cairo. Most of the attendees of the peace summit were staying there. Jamie pulled their SUV in behind Owen’s at the semi-circle in front of the hotel. Jamie turned around to Dani, Miles, and Flora.

“Alright, you lot stay in the car with Agent Jessel. I’ve got to go in and check out our rooms. Ok?”

Dani looked visibly upset. “Alone? You’re going alone?”

“Yeah. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Jamie got out of the car and headed inside. Rebecca slid into the driver’s seat, just in case they needed to get away quickly. Owen stayed in his car with Henry. Dani suddenly felt very alone without Jamie. She wished Rebecca had gone in instead. Rebecca, sensing Dani’s discomfort, leaned around to talk to Dani.

“She’ll be fine, you know. She’s quite good at doing things alone. It’s what makes her so good at what she does,” Rebecca stated.

This troubled Dani. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Agent Taylor is, well… you’ll see. People aren’t exactly her area of expertise. She’s not what you would call warm. I mean, she’s a great team member. I trust her with my life. But she’s a loner. It’s why she can risk her life every day and do the things she does.”

“Oh, well, umm, she didn’t seem that way to me on the plane,” Dani responded, thinking about the way Jamie held her hand and made her laugh. She found herself wanting to defend Jamie, but she didn’t say anything else, not wanting to betray Jamie’s confidence.

Rebecca just shrugged and turned back around.

“Agent Jessel! When can we go inside?” Flora asked excitedly.

“Soon, Flora. We’re just waiting on Agent Taylor to get our room keys.”

But Dani knew Jamie was doing more than that. Thirty minutes later, Jamie returned. Dani let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She automatically smiled when she saw Jamie come around to her door and open it.

“Alright, Poppins, let’s go,” she said.

Dani climbed out of the SUV, thankful to stretch her legs. They all retrieved their own luggage from the trunk. Dani noticed that Jamie only had a backpack. Jamie then placed a gentle hand on the small of Dani’s back and guided her into the hotel. Dani tried to remind herself that Jamie was only doing her job, but she found herself hyper focused on that fact that Jamie was touching her. Jamie didn’t remove her hand from Dani’s back until all seven of them were in the elevator together. Dani immediately missed the contact. She also observed that Owen and Rebecca were not quite as “hands on” as Jamie. _Don’t read too much into it, Dani. She’s just doing her job._

“Ok everyone,” Jamie said. “We’ve got three rooms. Mine and Dani’s room connects to Agent Jessel’s room with Miles and Flora. Mr. Wingrave, you and Owen will be next door to them. I’ve swept all the rooms and they’re clear.”

“Thank you, Agent Taylor,” Henry replied.

The elevator doors opened on the 10th floor. Jamie and Dani were the last ones out as everyone filed to their rooms. Jamie seemed to be letting the others get ahead for some reason, so Dani slowed her pace to match Jamie’s.

“So uh, we need to talk about our room,” Jamie said. “I tried to get it changed, but the hotel is all booked up.”

“What do you mean?” Dani asked.

“You’ll see. This is us right here,” Jamie said, swiping the keycard.

They walked into a _very_ nice room. It was probably the nicest room Dani had ever stayed in, with a mini kitchen, a living room area, a spacious bathroom, a balcony, and… one bed.

“Oh,” Dani said, immediately understanding the problem.

“Yeah. MI5 definitely requested two beds. But, it’s fine, I’ll take the couch.”

“No!” Dani exclaimed, upset that Jamie would be inconvenienced like that.

Jamie turned and looked at her with a questioning expression. “Care to elaborate?”

“I mean, it’s just that, you’re going to be risking your life for me all week. You deserve better than the couch. I’ll take the couch.”

“Nope. No way I can let you do that. You are considered the asset here, not me,” Jamie countered.

“Fine. Then I see no choice but for us to share it. I mean, look at that bed, it’s huge.”

_Shit, Taylor, this is a very bad idea. Say no. Say no right now._

“Fine. We’ll share it then,” Jamie replied. _Shit._

“Good. I mean, it just seems silly for one person to have that whole bed to themselves, you know? And, you did say that you have to keep me close, right?”

“Aye, I did say that. That wasn’t really what I had in mind when I said it though,” Jamie said, still mentally kicking herself.

“Right. But, I mean, I’m sure you’ve done this before, right?” Dani asked, fishing for information.

“You mean share a bed with an asset? No, this would be first, Poppins,” Jamie admitted.

“Hmm… good to know,” Dani responded, clearly pleased with herself.

_I am so compromised_ , Jamie thought. _Fuck._

Just then Flora and Miles burst through the door connecting their rooms, Rebecca following them. Jamie was honestly thankful for their intrusion.

“Miss Clayton, these room are—“ Miles began.

“Perfectly splendid!” Flora finished for him.

“Yes, they are! Do you want to show me your room?” Dani asked them.

“Oh yes!” Flora said, taking her hand and leading her away, leaving Jamie and Rebecca alone.

“Do you only have one bed in here?” Rebecca asked, noticing it immediately.

_Shit._

“Seems so, yeah. I tried to change it, but it seems the rooms are all booked up. Can’t wait to spend the week sleeping on the couch, but I’ve slept on worse,” Jamie said.

“Yeah, that’s a tough break. So, how are things going with the American?” Rebecca asked. Jamie was relieved that Rebecca dropped the bed topic so quickly.

“Good. I think she’ll do what we need her to do and not make any trouble for us. I think she’s probably a lot braver than people give her credit for. What about the kids?”

“Honestly, I’m exhausted! They are going to wear me out!”

“See? That’s why I didn’t want them,” Jamie teased.

“Yeah, you may have gotten the easier one. I think Owen has his hands full with Henry.”

“I gather that Henry isn’t taking any of this too seriously.”

“No, he isn’t. He thinks we’re being ‘overly-cautious,’” Rebecca said, making air quotes. “His words, not mine,” she added.

“Makes our job harder then.”

“It does. So, I gather you know about all these trips the kids want to take with the au pair while we’re here?”

“Aye, Dani told me. It’s a right mess. How are we supposed to provide proper security at the fucking pyramids?” Jamie asked.

“You want to run recon on that today or should I?” Rebecca asked.

Jamie didn’t want to leave Dani, but she needed some space. Needed to clear her head. “I’ll do it. You stay with Dani and the kids. Keep them here at the hotel. I don’t want them going anywhere without me.”

“You got it,” Rebecca said, as the kids came bounding back in the room with Dani trailing them.

Dani looked between Jamie and Rebecca, having just caught the end of their conversation.

“Everything okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’ve just got to head out. Run recon on this trip to the pyramids before we take you all there,” Jamie replied.

“Oh. Right now?” Dani said, trying, and failing, to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Yeah, no time like the present. Plus, you all need time to get settled in here. Oh, before I forget, hand me your phone.”

Dani retrieved her phone from her purse, unlocked it, and handed it to Jamie without question. _She already trusts me for some reason_ , Jamie observed. She added her number into Dani’s contacts and handed it back.

“You call or text me if you need anything and I will answer. Ok?”

“Ok. Do you need my number, too?”

“Dani, I’m MI5. I have your number,” Jamie said, quirking one eyebrow.

Dani laughed her awkward laugh. “Oh, right, of course you do.”

“Ok, one more thing. Do not under any circumstance leave this room until I get back. You don’t go anywhere without me. Is that clear?” Jamie was so serious it gave Dani chills.

“Clear. Just umm, be careful, okay?”

The way Dani kept worrying about her genuinely touched Jamie, but it was dangerous. _Compartmentalize, Taylor. Don’t let her get too close. Walk away right now._

“Always am.” And, with that, Jamie turned and left the room. And, for the second time that day, Dani missed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I’m definitely using the whole “one bed” trope, and I don’t even feel bad about it. I mean, you all are okay with them sharing a bed all week, right? ;)


	4. The First Day (and Night)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful comments on the last chapter! I’m so relieved that you all were okay with the bed sharing. I didn’t want to have to call the hotel and have them separated. ;)

Dani spent the day helping Miles and Flora unpack and discussing the things they would do during their week in Egypt. They were tired though from having traveled all night, and it wasn’t long before the children went down for a nap. Without being occupied by them, Dani found her thoughts drifting to Jamie and wondering what she was doing and if she was safe. She glanced over at Agent Jessel, who had been texting on her phone most of the day. Dani walked over to join her at the kitchen bar.

“So, what exactly does ‘recon’ entail?” Dani asked her.

Rebecca looked up from her phone, distracted, as if she hadn’t noticed that Dani had even joined her. 

“What? Oh, basically Agent Taylor is looking for anything that would make us vulnerable tomorrow. So, she’ll be taking photos of any guides or employees that we may interact with. She’ll run background checks on them tonight. She’ll be looking for any possible places we could be ambushed to or from the location and picking the route with the most escape options. She’ll be scouting any surrounding buildings or high places where a sniper could be. You know, things like that.”

Dani’s eyes were wide. “Oh? Is that all?”

“Yeah, she’s done this a thousand times. Don’t worry. She thinks of everything, that one. Very thorough.”

But that wasn’t what Dani was worried about. The thought of Jamie out there doing all of these things for her, and doing them alone, made Dani feel sick with worry. She wished that Henry was not insisting on making this such a big educational trip for the children. It didn’t seem worth it to Dani.

Rebecca finally put her phone down. “Hey, while the kids are asleep, what do you say you and I go grab something to eat? Get to know each other better?”

Dani felt apprehensive. Jamie had told her to stay put. 

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m not really hungry,” Dani said.

“You may be hungrier than you realize. We can just go downstairs to the hotel restaurant. It will be fine. You’ll be with me.”

“Agent Taylor wants me to stay here. I promised her I would.”

Rebecca leaned over and placed her hand on Dani’s knee. “No, I insist. You need a break from all of this. Let’s go.”

“Oh, umm, ok, let me go to the bathroom first,” Dani said, making a hurried exit. She felt uneasy, but she knew she shouldn’t. Rebecca was MI5, just like Jamie. Why did this feel wrong?

Dani went to the bathroom in her room and shut and locked the door. She pulled out her phone and opened a text to the newest contact in her phone— Jamie Taylor.

Jamie was walking back to her SUV when her phone dinged. She immediately pulled it out of her pocket and read her new message:

FROM: Poppins

MESSAGE: Agent Jessel wants to take me to the hotel restaurant. Is that ok with you?

Dani was waiting impatiently for a response. She couldn’t hide in the bathroom for too long without raising suspicion. Thankfully, Jamie only kept her waiting a matter of seconds. Her phone dinged:

FROM: Jamie Taylor

MESSAGE: NO. IT’S NOT OK. STAY PUT. I MEAN IT.

Dani sent a thumbs up emoji back and added the smiley with a halo for good measure. She felt like she did the right thing checking in with Jamie. Dani flushed the toilet and ran some water in the sink for show. Then she exited the bathroom. She found Rebecca in her room on the phone. Dani could hear Jamie’s angry voice screaming at her from the other end. _Well, that didn’t take long_. Dani couldn’t make out every word, but the conversation was laced with profanity and there was a fair amount of “What the fuck were you thinking?” She also heard something about “my responsibility,” and Dani could only assume that meant her. Rebecca shot daggers at Dani with her eyes. _Oh shit. She hates me now. Great._ Rebecca told Jamie they would discuss it more when she returned. Dani figured she didn’t want to say more in front of her. When she hung up, Rebecca turned her attention to Dani.

“See what I mean about her? Look, I have to go. _Your_ agent will be back soon.”

Dani was relieved when Rebecca left, even though it meant leaving her alone with the sleeping children. She wasn’t sure why things had become so tense all of a sudden. But, she didn’t have much time to think about it. Her phone was ringing. She glanced down at it— Jamie Taylor calling…

“Hello?” Dani said.

“Dani? You’re still in you’re room, yeah? I just wanted to check.” Jamie said, trying to control the panic in her voice. But gone was any hint of the anger Dani had heard directed towards Rebecca only seconds earlier.

“Yeah, I’m here with the kids. They’re asleep. Agent Jessel just left.”

“She left? She left you alone?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I think she hates me now though.”

“I don’t want you to worry about that. Look, I’m on my way back. I’m driving now. I’ll pick up some food on the way, ok? But you just stay there and don’t open the door for anyone. Got it?”

“Got it. I’ll see you soon,” Dani said.

“See you soon. Oh, and Poppins?”

“Yeah?”

“You did the right thing… texting me.”

_Click._ Jamie hung up before Dani could say “thanks.” It made Dani feel good though. And, she found that she cared much more about Jamie’s opinion than Rebecca’s. She plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on. She stared at it, but she wasn’t really watching it. She was thinking about how in the world she was going to survive this week.

Forty-five minutes later, Dani heard the door click and in walked Jamie, with an armful of takeout food. Dani got up and rushed over to help her carry everything.

“Thanks,” Jamie said, unloading a couple containers in Dani’s arms.

“Sure. I’m glad you’re back,” Dani said, heading towards the living room.

“Me too. Jessel back yet?”

“No.”

“Hmm. Kids still asleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright then. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Shall we?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty hungry, too, now that you mention it. And, it looks like you’ve brought enough food to feed an army!”

They sat down together in the living room and spread the takeout containers out over the coffee table. They ate in silence for a few moments before Dani spoke.

“So, how did it go today?” She asked.

“Good. Got a few more things to do tonight, but we should be good to go for tomorrow.”

“Oh, do you have to go out again tonight?” Dani didn’t even try to hide the disappointment in her voice. Jamie noticed.

“Nah, just stuff I can do on my laptop here. Can’t leave you alone for too long now, can I? You might run off with other agents,” Jamie said smirking.

“I think I proved today that you don’t have to worry about that,” Dani responded. “I’m your’s, right?” She added.

_Your’s._ Jamie liked the way that sounded, but it was becoming too charged in the room for her. 

“Aye, but don’t be gettin’ a big head about it just because you got the best,” she joked. Humor was one of her favorite methods of deflection. She had to keep things light. And, Dani probably hadn’t even meant it to come out the way it had. Or did she? 

Dani laughed, but then turned serious again.

“I hope I didn’t make things difficult with you and Agent Jessel.”

“Nah, it’s fine. We’ve worked together a long time. Nothing to worry about. I may have been a bit over-protective, but I stand by my decision. I’m just glad you contacted me.”

Jamie meant it, too. She was honestly surprised that the au pair had texted her. The trust that she already placed in Jamie made Jamie want to protect her all the more. Dani was innocent and pure and didn’t deserve to be in this situation. But, Jamie would make it the best she could. She was also so annoyed with Rebecca. She knew that Dani would have been safe with her, but it did not sit well with Jamie that she openly contradicted Jamie’s orders. She would definitely address it again when she had the chance.

Miles and Flora woke up not long after, ending the alone time that Jamie and Dani were enjoying. Dani went back to work with the kids and Jamie flipped open her laptop. She checked in with Hannah, uploaded images from her surveillance that day, ran background checks, and retasked satellites for tomorrow. She was so busy working that she didn’t notice the glances Dani cast her way.

Dani couldn’t stop looking at the agent. _She’s so distracting_. Everything about her invited Dani in. Dani found that she had so much respect for this woman and what she was capable of. She wondered what important work she was doing. She watched her brow furrow in concentration. Dani realized that she wanted to know everything about this woman. _Why did you become an agent, Jamie Taylor? What is your story? Why do you keep people at arm’s length? Could I be the exception?_ That last thought scared her. _Pull yourself together, Dani. She’s not interested in you. How could she be? Look at her. She’s perfect. And she’s probably straight. You don’t even know._

And that was the moment Jamie choose to look up and catch Dani staring at her. Jamie smiled back awkwardly and Dani looked away quickly, embarrassed she had been caught. Thankfully, Miles was asking her something and she didn’t have to stay stuck in her embarrassment long.

_Hmm,_ Jamie thought, _what was that?_

That night, Dani and the Wingraves had dinner together in a private room in the hotel while their agents held a meeting next door. Tomorrow, Henry would begin attending events associated with the peace summit and they wouldn’t see him or Owen much. The plan was for Dani and the kids to do a couple of days of sight seeing around Cairo, then they would join Henry for the rest of the peace summit. He wanted the children to have the experience. Dani knew it would bore them though. There was also a formal ball scheduled for later in the week. The children would not be attending that, but Henry informed Dani that she was welcome to attend. She accepted the invitation, loving a chance to get dressed up. She hoped Jamie would be okay with it. She made a mental note to talk to her about it.

As it had been a long day, they all decided to turn in early that night. In the morning, they would go visit the pyramids and ride camels. The children were ecstatic. Dani convinced them that the sooner they went to bed, the sooner they could go, so she had no trouble getting them to bed that night. Rebecca had very little to say to her that evening. Dani could only assume that she and Jamie had had it out again earlier in the evening, probably in their team meeting. Dani’s money was on Jamie winning that fight. _I’d always bet on her, I think._ Dani walked back into her room and closed the door connecting it to the children’s room. Jamie was sitting in a chair, feet propped up on the coffee table, working on her laptop. Her hair was wet and she was in her pajamas, which consisted of shorts and a T-shirt. She must have just taken a shower. Dani couldn’t help but notice her strong legs. As her eyes traveled down her legs, she noticed Jamie was wearing plain white socks, which Dani found adorable for some reason.

“Mind if I join you?” Dani asked.

“Of course. I was just finishing up,” she said, closing her laptop. “You want some tea? I just made some.”

“Sure, that’d be great,” Dani replied, watching as Jamie got up to pour her a cup. She handed it to Dani and joined her in the living room. Dani took a sip.

“Wow, this is great! I can’t make tea to save my life. Any hot beverage really,” she confessed.

“That’s tea from a real Brit, right there,” Jamie said proudly. “You Yanks are too obsessed with your coffee.”

“That’s probably true,” Dani admitted, taking another sip. Now that she had finally sat down, Dani felt so tired all of a sudden. She curled up in the the arm of the couch, cradling the warm cup of tea in her hands.

“Long day, eh Poppins?”

“Yeah. For you, too.”

“Aye. And we’ve got another big one tomorrow.”

“Ugh, I know. This week might be the death of me,” Dani said, not thinking through her word choice.

Jamie spewed her tea back into her cup. “Well, I certainly hope not! I will have done a piss poor job if that’s true.”

Realizing what she had said, Dani’s eyes got wide. “Oh my gosh! That’s not what I meant!”

Jamie laughed. “I know what you meant, Poppins. Don’t worry, we’ll get through it.”

They sat in silence for awhile, finishing their tea. The silence didn’t feel uncomfortable to either one though.

“Well, shall we turn in?” Jamie said, finally. She had been nervous all day about the bed situation, but they had to go to bed at some point. They were both exhausted. _It’s not a big deal._

“Yeah, I think I’ll just take a quick shower first,” Dani said.

“Go for it. The water pressure is good,” Jamie told her, not really sure what else to say.

When Dani got out of the shower, Jamie was already in bed, but she wasn’t asleep. She was propped up against the headboard, lamp on, studying a map of Cairo.

“Do you ever stop working?” Dani asked softly, walking over to the bed.

“No, I suppose not,” Jamie replied, folding the map up and setting it on the nightstand.

Dani pulled the covers on her side of the bed down a bit and climbed in next to Jamie, her heart racing. _I can’t believe I’m going to sleep next to her. It hope it’s not too weird for her._ Dani fluffed her pillows and laid all the way down. With Dani settled, Jamie moved her pillows down away from the headboard so she could lay down, too. When she did that, Dani caught a glimpse of a gun under them.

“Uh Jamie? Is that a gun?”

“Yeah, Dani. I always sleep with one under my pillow,” Jamie said as if it was the most normal thing on Earth.

“Are you serious?!” Dani sat back up and looked down at Jamie.

“Does that freak you out?” Jamie asked, looking up at her, suddenly concerned. “It won’t go off. I promise. And it’s definitely not pointed towards you.”

Dani calmed down a bit and moved to lay down next to Jamie again. “No, it just surprised me, is all. It shouldn’t have. Of course you sleep with a gun. It’s okay. I trust you. Do you have any other weapons I should know about? A knife in your sock or something like that?”

“Yeah, actually.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Deadly serious,” Jamie said, bringing her foot out from under the covers and pulling her sock down to show Dani the knife tucked away there.

Dani burst out in a fit of giggles.

“What, Poppins?! It’s not fucking funny. I have to be prepared!”

That only made Dani laugh harder. “I pity anyone who tries to break into this room,” she finally got out.

Jamie smiled. “You’re safe with me, that’s for sure. I would kill anyone who tried to come in here.”

“I believe you. I’ve probably never been safer than I am right now,” Dani said, making Jamie’s heart swell.

They both grew quiet. Jamie reached over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand. They were laying on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. But then, Dani turned on her side to face Jamie. She could just barely see her in the glow from the city lights sneaking in through their curtains.

“Are you going to tell me what happened earlier today? In the car? Something happened. I know it did,” Dani said.

Jamie exhaled, not looking at Dani.

“You picked up on that, did ya?”

“I can handle it, Jamie. Whatever it is. Just tell me. I’d rather know than be kept in the dark.”

“Ok, fair enough. You know there’s things I can’t tell you though, and you’ll just have to trust me. But this, I suppose I can. MI5 had satellites watching us from the airport to the hotel. The agents back in London picked up a sniper on a roof along our route. Most likely Peter Quint. So, we had to go a different way at the last minute.”

Jamie waited for Dani to freak out, but she didn’t.

“Thank you for telling me the truth,” Dani said calmly.

“Most likely Henry’s car was the target,” Jamie said, hoping to make her feeling better, which it didn’t.

“How did Peter Quint know what route we were taking?” Dani asked.

Jamie was impressed. Dani came to that question quickly. And, it was the right question. The one she had been wrestling with all day.

“See, that’s the question, isn’t it, Dani? I’ve no idea. But I intend to find out.”

And by the tone in her voice, Dani knew she would find out. She didn’t think anything would stop Jamie once she had her mind set on something.

“You’ll figure it out,” Dani said confidently.

Jamie didn’t know if she had earned that faith from Dani just yet, but she intended to. She would prove herself worthy of Dani’s trust.

“Get some rest, Poppins,” Jamie said softly.

“Sweet dreams, Jamie,” Dani whispered back, already drifting off to sleep.

Jamie smiled and rolled to her side, her back to Dani, and she too, drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to pick up a bit in the next chapter, so get ready!


	5. The Pyramids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the great comments on the last chapter! Rebecca is not going to get away with anything with you all watching her! ;)
> 
> This chapter sort of got away from me, so hopefully you don’t mind long chapters. Also, full disclosure, I have never been to any of the places I am writing about, so I’m sorry if there are a lot of things that are wrong or unrealistic. I just want Jamie and Dani to have a fun setting for their adventure. And, I want to let Jamie do cool things, like ride a horse in this chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Let me know in the comments! :)

For the briefest of moments, Jamie wasn’t sure where she was when she woke up. Then she heard soft snores next to her and instantly remembered. She rolled over very slowly, and sure enough, there was a sleeping Dani Clayton. She was laying on her side, facing Jamie, her beautiful hair falling across her face. Jamie wished she could reach out and brush her hair back, but of course, she knew she couldn’t. She was both relieved and disappointed to realized that they had both stayed on their respective sides of the bed. _It’s best that way. Gotta keep things proper. This is professional. Just two adults sharing a bed out of necessity, that’s all. Don’t think about how pretty she is. No, stop it, Taylor. She’s probably straight anyway. No need to get worked up about anything._

Jamie decided the best thing she could do was to get out of bed and get ready. She decided that she should definitely not think about the fact that she had just spent the night next to the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She got up gently and quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping au pair. _She looks so peaceful_. _Oh my gosh, stop watching her while she sleeps._ Jamie shook her head to clear her thoughts and tip toed to the bathroom to put on some makeup and tame her unruly hair.

When she returned a few minutes later, Dani was still in bed, but awake.

“Hey, you,” Dani said sleepily.

“Mornin.’ Hope I didn’t wake you,” Jamie replied.

“No, you didn’t. Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, I did. And you?”

“I think I slept better than I have in a long time,” Dani said.

_That has nothing to do with you, Taylor. Don’t flatter yourself. She was just really tired._

“I’m glad to hear that. Big day today, huh?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Dani said, pulling a pillow over her face. “I have to ride a camel today.”

“Didn’t know you were worried about the camel, Dani,” Jamie said, with a slight tease in her voice. “And here I thought it was the terrorists worrying you.”

“They’re your problem. I just don’t want to fall off the camel and embarrass myself in front of the kids.”

Jamie couldn’t help but snicker. It was such a normal worry in the midst of an extraordinary situation. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, pulling the pillow away from Dani’s face. Dani looked up at her with those big, blue eyes. _So trusting._

“You know that they put two people on each camel, right?” Jamie asked.

“No,” Dani said tentatively, not sure where this was going.

“If it will make you feel better, I’ll ride with you and make sure you don’t fall. Ok?”

“You would do that?” Dani asked.

“Yeah, got to keep you close anyway. And, my mission _is_ to keep you safe after all, whether that’s from the bad guys or the camel, so it seems I have no choice in the matter really. It’s my professional duty,” Jamie said, quirking her eyebrow and enjoying the appreciative smile that was spreading across Dani’s face. “Now, it’s time for you to get up and get ready so we can get this camel ride over!” Jamie said, playfully smacking Dani’s leg, earning a giggle from the blonde.

Dani got ready and then went over to Miles and Flora’s room to help them get ready, too. They were bouncing off the walls with excitement. Dani appreciated that Agent Jessel was doing her best to try to be excited with them. 

While Dani was with the kids, Jamie went to check in with Owen. She had barely seen him since they arrived in Egypt. He was going to be spending his day in meetings with Henry and was slightly jealous of the pyramid excursion. They also checked in with Hannah.

“Any idea yet how Quint knew our route yesterday?” Jamie asked her over their secure video call.

“Not yet, I’m afraid. But we’re working on it. And, rest assured, we are keeping an eye on you all from here. We’ll be watching closely today, Agent Taylor,” Hannah replied.

“My guardian angel,” Jamie said, feeling reassured.

“Be careful, both of you,” Hannah cautioned. “We have reason to believe Willoughby has a whole team in Cairo now. It’s not just Quint.”

“How big of a team are we talking?” Owen asked.

“Unknown. Just stay vigilant. I don’t need to tell you all how bad this would be for the agency if there were to be an incident,” Hannah replied.

“Understood,” Owen replied, as they signed off.

“Good luck today, Jamie,” Owen said.

“Thanks, mate, I’m gonna need it. Seems I have to teach an American how to ride a camel,” Jamie responded.

“Why do you get all the fun missions?” Owen said, laughing.

“It’s cause I’m better looking than you. Have fun in your meeting,” Jamie said, winking and walking away, leaving Owen shaking his head.

Jamie went back to the room and found that everyone was ready. They went downstairs to have breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Jamie’s eyes were constantly scanning the room, looking for any potential threats, but thankfully, there were none. She also made sure to keep an eye on Dani and make sure she ate and drank enough. The last thing she needed was Dani passing out from low blood sugar or dehydration or something. It turned out her fears were unfounded, as the American had quite the appetite. Jamie couldn’t help but appreciate that about Dani. Where did she even put it all? They didn’t talk much at breakfast. The kids monopolized most of Dani’s time when they were around, but Jamie understood that this was Dani’s job. She had a job to do the same as Jamie did. Plus, with Dani busy, it allowed Jamie to focus on what she needed to do. And, she found that she enjoyed the au pair’s company whether they were speaking or not. Something about her just made Jamie feel good. Once everyone was done eating, Jamie left them with Rebecca so she could get the SUV and bring it around front. She tried not to read into Dani’s disappointed expression when she left. 

“I’ll be right back for you, Poppins,” Jamie said, placing a gentle hand on Dani’s shoulder as she got up from her chair.

The kids decided to go back to the buffet to grab a couple more blueberry muffins for the road, leaving Rebecca and Dani alone at the table.

“She’s different with you, you know?” Rebecca said.

“What?” Dani asked, the comment catching her off guard.

“Jamie. Agent Taylor, I mean. She seems different around you. Less… grumpy… I don’t know,” Rebecca mused.

“Hmm… I don’t know. She’s nice.” Dani wasn’t sure how to navigate this. _Is Jamie different around me? How would I even know?_

“Yeah, that’s not normally a word used to describe her,” Rebecca said honestly.

Dani decided to ignore that and to take the opportunity to learn a bit more about Jamie.

“So, you all each have your own area of expertise, right?” She asked.

Rebecca replied, “Yeah, we all have the same basic training, but everyone excels in different areas. We all have different strengths. It’s what makes us such an effective team.”

“And Agent Taylor? What is her area of expertise?” Dani asked, not even trying to hide her curiosity.

“Well, being the over-achiever that she is, she doesn’t have just one. But, if I had to narrowed it down, she’s great at hand to hand combat.”

“Seriously? But, she’s like, so small!” Dani said, shocked that this was the answer.

Rebecca laughed. “Don’t let her size fool you. She’s fast and she’s lethal. Jamie Taylor doesn’t even need a weapon because she _is_ a weapon.”

Dani’s eyes were wide. She couldn’t comprehend it. Rebecca continued.

“Not that she’s also not great with weapons. She never misses what she aims for. But, explosives are her passion.” Rebecca leaned into Dani conspiratorially and whispered, “Jamie Taylor loves to blow shit up.”

Somehow Dani’s eyes got even wider. Rebecca continued.

“It all comes at a price though. You can’t do all of those things and not expect it to chip away at your soul. She’s no one you want to get close to.”

Dani opened her mouth to speak, but Miles and Flora chose that moment to return to the table, leaving the conversation unfinished. Rebecca clearly enjoyed the shocked look on Dani’s face. Dani was flustered, and it showed.

“Miss Clayton! Miss Clayton! Is it time to go now?” Miles asked, pulling on Dani’s sleeve.

Dani felt like she was in a fog. “Yeah, yeah, let’s go out front,” she said not really even looking at Miles.

Jamie pulled up in the SUV right as they exited the hotel. Everyone climbed in to their same spots as yesterday. Once again, Dani was sitting directly behind Jamie.

“Poppins? You alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Jame stated, clearly concerned.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Dani said hurriedly.

Jamie looked over to Rebecca, who only shrugged. _What the hell happened in the 10 minutes I was gone?_

Dani’s mind was spinning. _I mean, of course Jamie would have skills like that. She is a freakin’ MI5 agent. What did you expect, Dani? Oh my gosh, she has probably killed people. Like, so many people. I’m sleeping next to a killer._ Dani’s eyes met Jamie’s in the rear view mirror and Jamie smiled. Her eyes were warm, kind. Her hands had been nothing but gentle with Dani. Dani remembered how she had held her hand on the plane. Did those same hands also hurt? Could they hurt Dani? Dani was having trouble reconciling the woman she had spent the past two nights with with the one Rebecca had just described. _Maybe she’s both_. _And maybe that’s okay. Maybe I should be scared of her. But I’m not. I’m not scared of her at all. What is wrong with me? Is this some kind of Twilight level shit? Well, I mean, it did work out for Bella. Stop, Dani. Just stop. This is not fucking Twilight. This is real life. Get a grip._

The car ride to the pyramids was about 40 minutes, which gave Dani plenty of time to process her swirling emotions around Agent Taylor. She felt better by the time they got there. Jamie was Jamie, she decided, and she liked her exactly as she was, however she was. After all, the agent thing really did work for her. Her skill, competence, and confidence were all things Dani admired about her. And, while the things she did no doubt affected her, it didn’t mean that she didn’t feel them. Her soul was beautiful, Dani decided, and no one could tell her otherwise. 

Once Jamie parked the SUV, she hopped out and immediately opened Dani’s door for her.

“Don’t worry about a thing, ok? You just enjoy the day with the wee gremlins and let Jessel and I worry about the rest,” she said. _No, she could never hurt me. I shouldn’t have freaked out,_ Dani thought, feeling rather ashamed at her lapse in faith in Jamie.

“Hey! Who are you calling a gremlin?!” Flora said, pretending to be offended.

Jamie only laughed in response. Dani loved the sound of her laugh. She got out of the car.

“Thanks,” she said to Jamie as they started walking towards the ticketing kiosk.

Jamie and Rebecca hung back just a bit to let Dani and the kids enjoy their day together. They were trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, but they were never more than a few feet away from their charges. Jamie marveled at the way Dani was telling the children about the history of the pyramids and the Sphinx. Her enthusiasm for teaching was obvious and the kids hung on her every word. It was clear she had done her research. If she was scared or worried about anything, it didn’t show. Jamie found herself admiring the American au pair in a whole new way. Dani was so knowledgeable that they barely needed the guided tour they had paid for. But, Miles and Flora wanted to go inside the pyramids, so the guided tour it was then. Jamie was personally glad to go inside as it would be easier to scan for potential threats. She felt exposed outside. As they entered the pyramid, it instantly became darker. Their guide led them to a set of narrow stairs, going deeper into the pyramids. The stairs would take them to the tombs below. Jamie noticed Dani hesitate at the top of the stairs. Her breathing became shaky. Rebecca also noticed. Jamie nodded at Rebecca to go down first with the kids and she nodded back in acknowledgement, ushering them along.

“Dani? You alright?” Jamie asked, her voice laced with concern.

“Yeah, yeah, I uh, just—“

“You’re claustrophobic, aren’t you?” Jamie surmised.

“Yeah, I was hoping this wouldn’t happen. I’m so embarrassed,” she said, not looking at Jamie.

Jamie put her hand on Dani’s back. “Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Happens to the best of us. You don’t have to go down there.”

“No, I don’t want to disappoint the kids. I’ll be fine,” Dani replied, taking short, shallow breaths. Jamie was worried she would hyperventilate. _She always thinks of others more than herself,_ Jamie observed.

“Ok, we’ll do it together then. You just hold on to me and focus on taking some deep breaths. I’ll be with you the whole way. Yeah?”

Dani nodded feebly and tried to put on a brave face. Jamie offered her arm and Dani slipped her hand through it, clutching at Jamie’s forearm, feeling how strong and solid it was. Jamie pulled her close into her body and led her down the stairs, talking to her the whole way. Touching Jamie helped to ground Dani. It gave her something to focus on. And Jamie was quietly counting out her breaths for her the whole way. By the time, they got to the bottom, her dizziness had subsided and she felt some feeling coming back to her legs, which had felt like jello the whole way down. If Jamie hadn’t been holding her up, Dani was sure she would have passed out. The room opened up a bit at the bottom, but Dani still felt like she could feel the crushing weight of the stone pyramid on top of her. The children were listening to the guide with rapt attention, and mercifully, did not see how pale she looked. Jamie started to let go of Dani, but Dani pulled her close again. Jamie was the only thing keeping her panic at bay. Rebecca looked over at them and raised one eyebrow at Jamie.

“Panic attack,” Jamie mouthed back. And Rebecca nodded in understanding, surprised that Jamie would allow someone to cling to her like that. Or that anyone would even want to cling to the agent. Jamie always scared Rebecca a little bit. 

Dani was trying to focus on the tour guide, but Jamie was focused only on Dani. She wished there was something more she could do for her. As soon as the guide was done and the children had finished exploring the tomb area, Jamie began pulling Dani up the stairs. She wanted to get her back above ground as soon as possible. She wondered if she would have bruises on her arm from how tightly Dani was holding on to her. She also didn’t really care if she did. _It’s worth it_ , Jamie thought, _to be there for her like this_.

When they finally emerged back into the sunlight, Dani took a deep breath. 

“Oh, thank goodness!” She said, finally letting go of Jamie’s arm and standing on her own.

“You okay now, Poppins?”

“Yes, thank you so much. I’m so sorry.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for,” Jamie said. And she meant it.

“Oh, Miss Clayton! It’s time to ride the camels now!” Flora said, running up to her and wrapping her arms around her.

“Yay,” Dani said with mock enthusiasm, rolling her eyes at Jamie. Jamie snickered. Dani couldn’t catch a break.

“Miss Clayton?! Will you ride with me?!” Flora asked her. 

Jamie shouldn’t have, but she somewhat enjoyed the panicked expression that flashed across Dani’s face.

“Ummm—“

“Oh, please! Please, Miss Clayton! We will have the best time!” Flora was not letting up. 

Dani’s eyes met Jamie’s, silently begging for help. Jamie decided to put her out of her misery.

Jamie knelt down in front of Flora. “I’m so sorry, Miss Flora. But I’m afraid Miss Clayton will have to ride with me. You see, she’s promised to keep me from falling off.”

Flora grew very serious. She put her hands on Jamie’s shoulders and in her best grown up voice said, “A promise is a promise. I will let Miss Clayton ride with you, Agent Jamie, so you don’t fall off the camel.”

“Thank you, love. I’m relieved to hear that.”

Flora moved on instantly. “Come on, Miles! Miss Jessel! Let’s go get on our camel!”

Jamie stood up from where she had been kneeling and saw Dani looking at her with, what was that expression? Appreciation? Adoration? She wasn’t sure.

“Oh, don’t go getting all soft on me, Clayton. Let’s go,” Jamie said, feeling uncomfortable and needing to regain her tough image.

“Thank you,” Dani said sincerely.

Jamie and Dani walked over to their camel. Rebecca, Miles, and Flora were already getting on their’s. The guide turned to the two women.

“Who wants to be in front?”

Jamie gently pushed Dani forward.

“Why me?” She said, glancing back at Jamie.

“Because I can’t keep you from falling off if you’re behind me,” Jamie said in a hurried whisper, as if the answer was obvious.

The guide was already moving Dani towards the camel. It was kneeling down, but it was still a bit of climb for Dani. And, much to Jamie’s amusement, she was not graceful getting on.

“I can feel you laughing, Jamie. Stop it.” Dani said, getting situated and white knuckling the pommel in front of her.

“I’m not laughing,” Jamie said with a smile, as she effortlessly climbed on behind Dani and without assistance from the guide.

“Ugh, of course you made it look easy,” Dani said, as Jamie got situated behind her.

“I ride horses, so—“

“Of course you do. You’re perfect,” Dani said, without really meaning to say it.

“I’m far from perfect, Dani,” Jamie said, almost sadly.

They were interrupted when the camel stood up. Dani squealed but managed not to scream. She was proud of herself for that much, at least.

“Jamie!” Was all she managed to say.

“I’m right here.”

Jamie slid an arm around Dani’s waist. She placed her other hand on Dani’s hip to stabilize her. Jamie had a pommel behind her to hold onto, but she didn’t need it. She had no trouble keeping her balance on the lumbering camel. Dani’s body was rigid with tension and she was struggling to find her balance, even with the death grip she had on the pommel and Jamie holding her from behind.

“How long is this ride again?” Dani asked.

“An hour,” Jamie replied.

“Shit,” Dani muttered.

“Miss Clayton! This is so fun!” Miles yelled from the camel in front of them.

“Are you having fun, Miss Clayton?” Flora called back to her.

“So much fun!” Dani called back to them.

Jamie snickered behind her.

“It’s not funny. We’re not all badass agents,” Dani said, with a hint of panic in her voice.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. Look, just relax. Move with the camel. Lean back into me and just let your body do what mine does. I won’t let you fall. I promise.”

“Really? Are sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all.”

“Ok then. Thank you,” Dani said, allowing herself to lean back into Jamie while Jamie scooted a little closer to her to make it possible. 

Their bodies were completely flush, and that thought alone distracted Dani from the camel. Jamie tightened her grip on Dani’s waist, holding her securely. Her other hand stayed on Dani’s hip, grounding her. After a few moments, Dani felt more settled and let one of her hands leave the pommel to cover Jamie’s on her stomach. At the contact, Jamie felt like there were fireworks going off inside her body. What was this hold the American had over her? It was only getting worse. Dani’s hair was tickling Jamie’s nose and she could smell her shampoo. Jamie couldn’t believe they were this close. _This is still just professional. It’s my job to keep her safe. Oh, who are you kidding, Taylor? You are in deep shit and you know it._

Dani’s body felt like it was on fire everywhere it connected to Jamie’s. She definitely was not thinking about how high up she was right now. She wasn’t thinking about anything except how good Jamie’s body felt pressed against her’s. About how good her hands felt on her. Without realizing she was doing it, Dani was rubbing her thumb along the back of Jamie’s hand. She had no idea what it was doing to the brunette behind her, who was biting her lip in frustration and definitely trying not to think about what it would be like to kiss Dani’s neck.

“You’re really good at this, you know?” Dani whispered back to her.

“At what?” Jamie asked, thankful for the distraction.

“Making me feel safe.”

Jamie’s heart flipped in her chest. Her heart was beating so fast she was worried Dani would be able to feel it.

Dani continued, “I mean, I know this is your job, but you should know that you’re really good at it.”

Since Dani couldn’t see her face, Jamie decided to be bold. She couldn’t have Dani thinking she just went around touching everyone she worked with like this.

“Yeah, see Dani, this part here? This isn’t my job.”

“Oh? Then why are you doing it?” Dani asked quietly.

“I don’t reckon I really know. Just feels right is all.” That was as much as Jamie could admit at this point.

“It feels right to me, too.” Dani said. _Shit! Why did I say that?_

_Shit!_ Jamie thought. _Why did she say that?!_

Jamie cleared her throat. “Alright then, I guess we’ll just leave it there, then.”

Dani felt bad. She clearly made Jamie uncomfortable. They were quiet for a few minutes, but Jamie was still holding on to her tightly. Dani took that as a good sign. She decided to change the subject.

“So, tell me, what does Agent Jamie Taylor do when she is not catching the bad guys? What do you like to do, you know, for fun?”

Jamie was thankful for the change in conversation.

“I garden. I fucking love plants.”

_Plants?!_ Dani was not expecting that.

“Really? Tell me more about that.”

The rest of the camel ride was spent with Jamie telling Dani all about her garden and what she liked to grow. She spoke with such passion that Dani thought she could even be persuaded to love plants, too. She had never thought about them the way Jamie did. Again, Dani had a hard time reconciling this gardener with the killing machine Rebecca had described. Jamie Taylor was quite a enigma. It made Dani sad though when Jamie told her about how she liked plants more than people, about how people were exhaustive and not worth the effort. But that plants were.

“That’s a lonely way to live,” Dani said quietly.

“Yeah, but it’s a good way not to die,” Jamie responded.

Before Dani could think of a response, she realized they were at the end of their camel ride. She was both relieved and sad. The camel knelt down for them to dismount and Jamie finally removed her hands from Dani’s body. Dani almost whimpered at the loss of contact.

“Let me get down first and then I’ll help you,” Jamie said in her ear. Dani nodded.

Jamie hopped off the camel and offered her hand to Dani, who quickly took it. Dani’s other hand grabbed Jamie’s shoulder as she dismounted. 

“Whew. That went better than the getting on part. Thanks,” Dani said.

“Don’t mention it.”

Dani realized her legs hurt. “Oh gosh, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk right the rest of the day,” she complained.

“Miss Clayton! Wasn’t that splendid?!” Flora exclaimed, running up to her.

“Yes, it was. I’m so glad you enjoyed it,” Dani said.

“Oh, and I see you kept Agent Jamie from falling off.”

Jamie chimed in. “Yes, Flora, Miss Clayton took quite good care of me.”

“She’s good like that,” Flora said, beaming with pride at her au pair.

Rebecca walk past Jamie and muttered, “Funny how _she_ kept _you_ on when it was _your_ hands that were all over _her_.”

Rebecca gave Jamie a disapproving look and Jamie scowled back.

“Shove off, Jessel.”

“Be care is all I’m saying,” Rebecca said under her breath.

“Yeah, well, that’s rich coming from you,” Jamie shot back.

“Everything ok?” Dani interrupted.

“Yeah, of course,” Jamie replied, forcing a smile.

“Miss Clayton?” Flora was tugging on Dani’s sleeve. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Ok, I’ll take you,” Dani said, taking Flora’s hand and leading her towards the restrooms.

Jamie, Rebecca, and Miles followed behind them until they got to the restrooms.

“We’ll wait for you out here,” Jamie said.

“Can I go to the souvenir shop, Agent Jessel?” Miles asked her.

Rebecca looked to Jamie, who nodded. “Yeah, you two go. I’ll wait for them and then we’ll meet you in the shop.”

They had barely walked away when Jamie noticed a man loitering near the exit to the women’s restroom. He kept his baseball cap low and was trying to stay out of Jamie’s line of sight. Something didn’t feel right about him. 

“Rebecca, hold up a minute!” Jamie called back to her.

Rebecca and Miles turned to walk back towards Jamie right as Dani and Flora came out of the restroom. Jamie turned from Rebecca just in time to see the man grab Flora. Jamie sprinted towards them, closing the gap as quickly as she could. Dani was struggling with the man, trying to wrestle Flora free. Flora was screaming, “Miss Clayton, help!” Dani made a fist and punched the man right in the nose. It surprised him long enough to let go of Flora’s arm. Dani picked her up and started running to meet Jamie, her eyes wild with fear. When the man saw Jamie barreling towards him, he ran in the opposite direction.

“Get to Rebecca!” Jamie yelled at Dani as she passed her, continuing on in pursuit of the man.

The man ran towards a group of horses that were saddled up for their next tour. He got on one and spurred it on, trying to get away from Jamie as fast as possible. 

“Move!” Jamie yelled as the tour guide tried to stop her. She shoved him out of the way and grabbed the nearest horse, a black stallion. She effortlessly hoisted herself into the saddle and quickly brought the horse to a gallop.

Dani had reached Rebecca and was hugging a crying Flora tight to her. “You’re alright, you’re alright,” she said over and over to her. But, Dani’s eyes were on Jamie. _Holy shit. She’s going after him on a fucking horse_.

Jamie couldn’t think about anything except the target in front of her. Luck was on her side; she was lighter and her horse was faster. She was gaining on the man. He looked back and saw her, drawing a gun.

_Shit!_

Jamie ducked as the first shot whizzed past her head. She drew her own gun and fired back, hitting him in the shoulder. But he still held on, returning fire as she dodged. 

Dani watched all of this from afar, her heart caught in her throat. In fact, everyone was watching this scene play out in the desert now, but it was only personal to Dani. _Be careful, Jamie!_

Jamie finally brought her horse alongside the man’s. She had been counting his rounds. By her count, he was out of ammo. He fired at her again, directly at her head. _Click._ Nothing. She smirked. He cursed and tossed the gun aside as Jamie leapt from her horse onto to him. The force of her body colliding with his threw him from the saddle, with her toppling over with him. They both landed on the ground and rolled in the sand, hitting each other wherever they could until their momentum stopped. He was on top of her. He pulled a knife out of his sleeve and brought it down towards Jamie’s neck. She blocked it with her arms, keeping him at bay and pushing back. 

From her vantage point, Dani could not see what was happening, but she could see enough to know that Jamie was pinned under the larger man. She sunlight glinted off the knife and Dani saw it. _Oh no, oh no, oh no._

The man thought he had Jamie beat, but she was smiling. This unnerved him and she knew it would. She brought her knee up to hit him in the crotch and then rolled over on top of him. She wrestled the knife from his hands and tossed it aside. She noticed with some amount of pride that Dani had already bloodied his nose. _Good girl._ She added her own mark to his face as she brought her fist down hard. It was enough for him to go limp and stop struggling with her. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up to her face.

“How did you know where to find us?!” She yelled.

“You’ll find out,” he said, his voice raspy.

“You are under arrest, you piece of shit! And you are going to tell me everything!”

“No, I’m not,” he said. He bit down hard on his own mouth.

_No, no, no! A cyanide pill!_

“No, you bastard!”

He was frothing at the mouth, the poison working instantly. He was dead within seconds.

“Shit!” Jamie yelled, punching the desert sand.

Dani couldn’t tell what was going on, but she was relieved to see Jamie stand up. The man stayed down. _Did she kill him?!_

Jamie pulled out her phone and called it in. Within minutes, MI5 would have the local authorities here to collect the body. Jamie walked over to where the two horses had stopped. She mounted her’s and lead the other by the reins, bringing them back to their corral. 

Dani was running up to her as she trotted up and dismounted. _Oh God, she looks so hot on that horse_ , Dani couldn’t help but think. _You are so inappropriate, Dani. Stop._

“Are you okay, Dani?” She asked. She hadn’t even had time to check on her before she ran off.

“Am _I_ okay?! Are you kidding me? Are _you_ okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a little dusty is all,” she said, brushing herself off. “That was quite a hit you got in. Impressive.”

Dani puffed up with pride at the compliment. “Well, I learn from the best.”

“Let the record reflect that you hit someone on this trip before I did, Poppins,” Jamie said, smirking. “Now, let’s get you out of here.”

Rebecca came up with the children. “What happened to him? Did he say anything?”

“Cyanide pill. He took it before I could get anything out of him.”

Rebecca nodded. “Let’s get them back to the hotel.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Rebecca drove them all back to the hotel while Jamie was on the phone with Owen. She was careful of how much she could say in front of the children. Dani sat in the middle, both children nestled into her. Flora had stopped crying. Miles seemed more impressed with Jamie leaping off a horse than anything. It had been a close call though, and they all knew it. Dani was so angry that these people would go after a little girl, the youngest and most defenseless one of them. She had surprised herself, in a good way, that she hit someone. Although her bloody knuckles were not as happy about that. _Worth it_ , she thought. And she saw Jamie in action. _Wow._ She was quite impressive. Dani found that she no longer had any reservations about Jamie. She was amazing in every way. _I’m glad she’s on my side,_ Dani thought with a smile. Jamie glanced back at her and couldn’t imagine what Dani was smiling about.

It was late afternoon by the time they returned to the hotel. Once Jamie and Rebecca got them settled back in their rooms, they had to leave to meet with Owen and video conference with Hannah about what had happened at the pyramids. Dani was alone with the children, which was good. She needed to help them process what happened. And, she needed to clean and bandage her hand. Henry also came to check on them. He seemed to think this was an “isolated incident” and that everything was fine because there was “no harm done.” Dani vehemently disagreed with that, but she wasn’t going to argue with him in front of the children.

Jamie was meeting with her team. And she was angry.

“How the hell do they keep finding us?!” She yelled. “We could have lost Flora today!”

“But, you didn’t,” Hannah said calmly over the laptop. “You did your job and she’s fine. Everyone is fine. You are commended for your work today, Agent Taylor.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate that. But, respectfully, I think continuing to put civilians at risk is reckless.”

“I don’t disagree with you, Taylor, but unfortunately, Mr. Wingrave does,” Hannah explained.

“He really is quite stubborn,” Owen interjected. “Be glad you don’t have him.”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. Your orders haven’t changed. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they all said.

Jamie and Rebecca brought food up to the room for dinner and they kept everyone in the rest of the night. Dani watched a movie with the children and then put them to bed. It had felt like the longest day when she finally returned to her’s and Jamie’s room and shut the door to the kids’ room behind her. She was exhausted. Jamie was in the shower, which gave Dani a little bit of time to herself to think. But it was all just so overwhelming. And, what would tomorrow bring? And the day after that? This whole trip was a terrible idea. _Well, maybe not all of it_. Jamie was certainly a bright spot, Dani thought, smiling to herself. She decided to make some tea for Jamie to have when she got out of the shower. Jamie emerged a few minutes later.

“You making tea, Poppins?”

“Yeah, I thought you might like some.”

“I’d love a cup,” she said, gratefully taking it from Dani. She took a sip. “Oh God, Poppins, that’s awful.”

“Is it? I’m so sorry! I told you I wasn’t very good at it,” Dani said sheepishly.

“It’s okay. We can work on that. Nobody’s perfect. I appreciate the thought though, I really do.”

“I’m gonna hop in the shower if you want to make a fresh pot of tea.”

“Sounds good, Poppins.”

Jamie’s head was a swirl of thoughts. The mission. Viola. Peter. Her team. Dani. Dani was taking up a lot of space in her brain. She couldn’t stop thinking about their camel ride and the way Dani had clung to her in the tombs. _It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anything at all. She was just scared and I was helping her._

Just like the previous night, Jamie was in bed reading when Dani got out of the shower. She didn’t want to fall asleep before Dani joined her. Dani pulled down the covers and slid in. Jamie thought she seemed more natural about it tonight, more comfortable with her. Jamie knew she could be intimidating, but she didn’t want Dani to feel that way around her.

“Feel better after a shower?” Jamie asked.

“Yeah, much,” Dani responded, and Jamie noticed her knuckles. 

She reached over and gently took Dani’s right hand, bringing it closer to her face to inspect.

“I’m sorry about this. I should have been closer to you. You should have never had to protect Flora yourself. This is my fault.” She grazed her thumb over the bruises, as if she could will them away with her touch. Dani watched her, mesmerized.

“It’s not your fault at all, Jamie! Don’t say that! In fact, you were amazing today.”

Jamie smiled and let go of Dani’s hand. “You weren’t half bad yourself. You punched your first terrorist today. That’s a big deal. It was very brave.”

Dani giggled. Jamie loved to hear it.

“Are you doing okay though, really?” Jamie asked, wanting an honest answer.

“I think so. I mean, I’m still scared. Really scared. But, I saw you in action today. I think it’s the bad guys who should be more scared, honestly.”

Jamie laughed. “I don’t know about that, but thank you.”

“You know, you’re like James Bond,” Dani said excitedly, as if this thought had only just occurred to her.

“He’s MI6, Dani. I’m MI5. It’s different. I’m not a spy.”

“No, wait, hear me out…”

Jamie groaned. She knew exactly where this was going.

Dani sat up straighter, dropped her voice an octave, and said in her most serious voice, “The name’s Bond. _Jamie_ Bond.” She added finger guns for emphasis.

Jamie took her pillow and smacked Dani right in the face with it.

“That was awful, Poppins. I should shoot you right now for making such a bad joke.”

Dani reached for her own pillow and smacked Jamie back. Jamie feigned offense, and both of them erupted in laughter. 

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, Poppins?” Jamie said in a mock serious tone.

“Do your worst, Agent Taylor.”

“You really shouldn’t have said that,” Jamie said, as she grabbed her pillow again, leapt over Dani, and quickly straddled her, smacking her repeatedly (yet gently) in the face. 

Dani shrieked and screamed and tried to block Jamie’s pillow, her hands flailing wildly. She eventually reached over to grab one of her own, smacking Jamie on the side of the head with it. Jamie pretended to be stunned, giving Dani a chance to grab her. Jamie allowed Dani to flip her over while Dani straddled her and got in a few good hits of her own. Jamie’s hands were in front of her face trying to block the pillow while she laughed uncontrollably. Dani finally rolled off of her and collapsed next to her in a fit of giggles. They were both out of breath. When they looked over at each other and saw how disheveled the other’s hair was, it only set them off laughing again.

“I swear though, if you ever make that joke again, I’ll kill you,” Jamie said.

“It had to be done. I have no regrets,” Dani replied, still chuckling. Then she added, “Oh my gosh, do you think they heard us next door? Do you think Agent Jessel is going to ask what you were doing to make me scream tonight?”

“Shit, Poppins. I can’t believe you just fucking said that. If she heard, you better tell her you had a nightmare,” Jamie said, clearly flustered and trying not to laugh.

Dani snickered.

“Goodnight, Poppins. You are in so much trouble.”

“Goodnight, Jamie. You know I’m your most fun assignment.”

“Just goodnight.”

Jamie rolled over on her side again, facing away from Dani so she couldn’t see the stupid grin on her own face. Dani also rolled over, but this time, she scooted closer to Jamie so that their backs were touching.

“Hey, is this okay?” Dani whispered, her playful tone replaced with a serious one. “I just don’t want to feel alone tonight.”

“Yeah, I reckon it’s okay.” _I don’t want to feel alone either._


	6. The Close Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t thank you all enough for the wonderful comments on the last chapter! Seriously, each of your comments makes my day. And, I’m loving all of your suggestions and theories. Keep ‘em coming!
> 
> I did add a violence tag on the story for this chapter. I don’t think it’s anything too graphic, but I did want to mention it.
> 
> This is another long chapter. Enjoy!

A sunbeam poured through the window, casting its light over Jamie’s face and waking her up. She was laying on her back, with one arm hanging off the side of the bed and the other draped across her stomach. She was so groggy that it took her a minute to realize that Dani Clayton was sleeping _very_ close to her. She glanced over and there was Dani’s head, resting right on her shoulder, Dani’s whole body was curled in towards Jamie, with her hands curled up against Jamie’s upper arm and her knees pressed against Jamie’s thighs. _Oh no, oh no, oh no. Not good! How did this even happen? We have this whole queen size bed and Dani is sharing my pillow?! Ok, I don’t think I was an active participant in this. I’m not touching her. I haven’t crossed a line. She’s asleep and probably didn’t even realize that she migrated over here. This is fine. I just need to get up without waking her._

Taking one last second to savor all the places Dani’s body was touching her’s, Jamie very carefully slid out of the bed, careful not to wake Dani. Dani groaned and muttered something unintelligible, but did not wake up. Jamie went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. _You have got to get a handle on this. You cannot have feelings for her._ It was so much easier for Jamie to tell herself that when she was not around Dani. When Dani touched her, it was like all reason and logic left her. _This has never happened before._ Jamie thought back to last night. They were so comfortable with one another, the jokes flowing easily. Jamie couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed like that. Being with Dani just felt so good. _Stop. Just stop._

Jamie got ready and then headed back into their room to make some tea. Dani was just starting to stir.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Jamie said.

Dani yawned and stretched. She then looked very confused.

“Jamie? Why am I on your side of the bed?”

“I don’t know. You must have rolled over after I got up.”

“Oh ok, good. That makes sense.” She sounded so relieved. “I was afraid I had done something embarrassing there for a second.”

“The only thing you need to be embarrassed about is your awful joke from last night,” Jamie teased, glad that she had spared Dani some embarrassment.

“I still maintain that I have no regrets about that,” Dani replied stubbornly, finally rolling out of bed and heading towards the bathroom. 

A few moments later, Jamie brought her a cup of tea while she was fixing her hair. “Thank you, Jamie. You make the best tea. And I could definitely use the caffeine.”

Jamie smiled. “Don’t mention it.”

After she was done getting ready, Dani went next door and got the kids up and dressed. Then they all went down to breakfast together. Rebecca was sitting across the table from Dani and Jamie, eyeing them suspiciously. When Miles and Flora went back to the buffet line, she decided to confront them.

“So, which one of you wants to tell me what the hell happened last night?” Rebecca asked.

Dani snickered and Jamie kicked her under the table.

“What are you talking about, Jessel?” Jamie asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know perfectly well.”

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you spell it out for me?” Jamie asked, daring her to say something.

“I-, I- heard Dani scream,” Rebecca said.

“Aye, you did. Dani, care to tell Agent Jessel here what that was about?”

“Yeah, I, uh, had a nightmare,” Dani said. “Yesterday was just a hard day, you know?”

Jamie nodded like the matter was concluded. Rebecca was not convinced.

“Must have been a funny nightmare with all the laughter that came after.” Rebecca said, her tone accusing.

“Rebecca, say what it is you want to say because I don’t much appreciate your tone right now,” Jamie said.

Rebecca ignored her. “Dani, where is Jamie sleeping?”

“What? She’s sleeping on the couch. Where else? I’m not sure I understand what’s going on here,” she said innocently. Dani had not missed a beat. Jamie wasn’t sure she could be any more proud of her.

Rebecca looked down, feeling rather foolish. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to imply—“

Jamie interpreted her. “Yes, you did, Rebecca. Look, if I’d had sex with Dani last night, I guarantee you she would have screamed more than once,” she said with the cockiest grin Dani had ever seen.

Dani’s head whipped to the side to look at Jamie, her eyes wide. _Holy shit! Did I just hear her say that?! Wait, why does Rebecca even think that is remotely possible? What is happening right now?!_

Rebecca blushed and got very uncomfortable under Jamie’s stare. “I just, excuse me—” She got up hurriedly to check on the kids, who were making waffles. Rebecca’s exit gave Dani a moment to compose herself.

“Your co-worker definitely thought we had sex last night,” Dani said matter of factly. “I kind of feel like I got cheated now.”

Jamie spewed her orange juice back into its glass. _What is happening today?! First, the bed situation and now this comment?! Does she have any idea what she is doing to me?!_

Dani laughed and elbowed her. “That was payback. For the screaming comment.”

_Oh, thank God. She’s just joking._

“Poppins, you flirt.”

“Hmm, do I?” Dani said, taking a long drink of her coffee and raising her eyebrows.

_Wait, now I’m not so sure anymore. Is she joking or not? I have no idea what is going on. This got out of hand fast. I just wanted to throw Rebecca off._

Miles, Flora, and Rebecca returned to the table with their waffles, leaving both Jamie and Dani with more than a few unanswered questions for each other. Rebecca could barely look at either of them. She was mostly convinced that they had not slept together at this point, but she still had no idea what had actually happened and that bothered her. Why wouldn’t they just tell her?

“Miss Clayton, tell us again what adventure we’re going on today?” Flora asked, disrupting literally every adult at the table from their thoughts about Jamie and Dani having sex… or not.

“Today, Flora, we are going to the museum!” Dani said, mustering excitement she didn’t actually feel.

“Museums are boring,” Miles said.

“Not this one, Miles, it will be perfectly splendid!” Flora said. She seemed to have bounced back from yesterday’s scare.

Rebecca’s phone rang and and she excused herself from the table to take the call. The kids were still bickering about whether or not the museum would be cool. Dani leaned over to whisper to Jamie.

“Remind me again why we are lying to Rebecca? We haven’t done anything wrong.”

_Because I don’t trust her right now. Especially not with you._ “No, we haven’t, Dani. But she may not see it that way. As agents, we have to keep our feelings in check, stay neutral, you know? If we don’t, things could get… complicated,” Jamie whispered back, hoping Dani understood. Dani didn’t let it go.

“Does… sharing a bed with...with me… c-complicate things?” She managed to get out in a whisper.

“Course not, Poppins,” Jamie lied. “Just don’t want to it look that way is all.”

“Right, got it,” Dani said, hiding her disappointment. 

_I just lied to her. It’s actually quite complicated for me. It’s for the better though._

Rebecca returned to the table, looking stricken.

“Everything alright, Jessel?” Jamie asked, concerned. “Who was that on the phone?”

“It was nobody. Wrong number. I’m just not feeling well all of a sudden. I think it was maybe something I ate. Do you mind taking them to the museum on your own?”

Jamie got up from the table and led Rebecca by her elbow a few feet away, just out of earshot of Dani, Miles, and Flora, who had all turned to blatantly watch the conversation.

“Jessel, that’s a break in protocol,” Jamie said low. “You sure you’re feeling that bad?”

“I’m so sorry, Jamie. I think I’m going to be sick. There’s no way I can go.”

“This came on really sudden,” Jamie observed.

“I know. I’m so sorry. But I did all the recon yesterday and you studied it, right?”

“Course I did.”

“So, it will be fine. I’m really sorry to do this to you.”

“Maybe we should postpone the trip,” Jamie suggested.

“No, you know Wingrave will have a fit if you do that.”

“Oi, you’re probably right there. Not that I care much about his opinion.” Jamie glanced back and saw the pleading looks on the kids’ faces. “Fine. I’ll take them. But you owe me one, Jessel.”

“Understood. And thank you.”

“Sure.”

“Also, Jamie? I’m really sorry, you know, for what I accused you of. I shouldn’t have said that. I know how strong your boundaries are and that you wouldn’t have done that. She likes you though, you have to see that. Just be careful is all.”

Jamie scoffed. “Now I know you’re not feeling well. You’re full of shite, Jessel. Get yourself to bed. That’s an order.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Rebecca replied seriously. She waved goodbye to Dani and the kids and headed back up to her room.

Jamie returned to the table. “Alright, you lot ready to go?”

“Yes! Field trip with Agent Jamie!” Miles said, finally excited.

“You sure this is okay?” Dani said quietly to Jamie. She was picking up on Jamie’s uneasy feeling.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Jamie replied.

A few minutes later, they were all piling into the SUV. This time, Dani climbed in the front seat next to Jamie.

“Is it okay that I sit up here?” She asked, checking in with Jamie.

“Sure. The whole SUV is bulletproof, so you’re as safe up here as back there.”

“Are you serious?”

“Did you really think we weren’t driving around in an armored vehicle?”

“Oh wow,” Dani said, realizing that there were so many things Jamie was taking care of behind the scenes that she had no clue about.

“Anyway, welcome to the front seat,” Jamie said nonchalantly.

“Thanks. I prefer the view up here,” Dani said, looking directly at Jamie.

Jamie cleared her throat. “Right. Well, let’s go.”

The kids were chattering in the backseat, but Jamie and Dani were quiet in the front. Jamie was focused and Dani didn’t want to distract her, but she realized that she had forgotten to talk to her about the ball the next night.

“Hey Jamie?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been meaning to mention this to you, but there is a ball tomorrow night for all the delegates at the summit. Mr. Wingrave invited me. I told him I would go. But, I realize I probably should have talked to you about it first. I’m sorry. Is that okay? It’s totally okay if it’s not.”

“Oh yeah, Agent Sharma mentioned it to me the other night. Said you’d expressed an interest in going. It’s fine by me if that’s what you want. Security will be tight there. Less to worry about. We’ll still need to be on our guard though.”

“Of course. Thanks, Jamie. I thought you might not be happy about it.”

“You made me ride a camel and you think _this_ is what is going to upset me?” Jamie said, smirking.

“I don’t know what to wear though. Do you think we would be able to go shopping or anything?”

“No need. Once Owen told me you wanted to go, I took the liberty of procuring the appropriate attire through MI5. We have access to all kind of fancy clothes, you know? It’s one of the perks of the job,” Jamie said, turning towards Dani and winking.

“Oh? So you’ve, uh, already picked out something for me to wear?” Dani asked, both shocked and thrilled at the thought of Jamie picking something out for her. When did she even find time to do that?

“I have, yeah. For both of us. Should be delivered to our room tonight. I hope I didn’t overstep. I’m sorry if I should’ve asked you first.”

“No, no it’s totally fine. I’m sure whatever you chose is great. Thanks,” Dani said, and she meant it. Jamie thought of everything.

They arrived at the museum shortly thereafter. Jamie hung back again, letting Dani do her job, but she stayed close and kept a watchful eye. Rebecca’s recon had been good and Jamie had not encountered any surprises. 

Even though Jamie was not drawing any attention to herself, Dani found herself aware of her at all times. There was just so much Dani wanted to talk to her about, but their time alone was rare. They were on their last part of the museum tour when Jamie’s phone went off. Dani watched Jamie read her message, her eyes immediately snapping up to meet Dani’s. She walked over to Dani in two strides and took her by the elbow. She spoke low so Miles and Flora wouldn’t hear.

“We need to leave. Now,” Jamie said.

“What? Why?” Dani asked, panic rising.

Jamie turned her phone so Dani could see it, not wanting to say anything aloud.

FROM: Hannah Grose

MESSAGE: Assassination attempt made on Wingrave. Attempt unsuccessful. Sharma in pursuit now. Intel suggests team of mercenaries en route to you. Get out now. Use extreme caution. Rendezvous at hotel.

Dani nodded hurriedly, her heart racing. Jamie sent an acknowledgment to Hannah and walked over to the children.

“Ok, sprouts, I hate to cut this short, but we have to go,” she said, trying to sound chipper.

“But why?” Miles whined.

“Don’t ask questions, let’s just go,” Dani said, taking their hands and pulling them along.

“But Miss Clayton! I wanted to go to the gift shop!” Flora complained.

“We’ll get you something later,” Dani said quickly.

Dani pulled the kids behind Jamie as they exited the museum and entered the parking garage. Jamie pulled out her gun as they walked and the kids’ eyes went wide. Jamie’s head was swiveling, trying to scan every inch of the parking garage for threats. They made it to the SUV and Jamie directed them to get in. Dani chose to get in the backseat this time, so she could help the kids stay calm. Jamie retrieved some items from the back and then joined them, tossing three bulletproof vests towards them.

“Put these on,” she directed, while she pulled one over her own head.

Dani’s eyes showed how frightened she was, but she knew not to question Jamie. _This is serious._

“What are these Miss Clayton?” Flora questioned.

Dani found herself faltering, but Jamie stepped in to help her as she started up the SUV and put it in reverse.

“It’s like a life vest, Flora. It will keep you safe. Only very important people get to wear them,” she said, trying to throw a reassuring smile her way in the rear view mirror.

“But, Agent Jamie, we’re not going swimming,” Miles said.

“No, but we’re in a type of hot water, so you’ll want these,” Jamie said, as she pulled out of the parking garage and onto the busy street.

“Thank you,” Dani mouthed to her. She has successfully gotten the vests on both children and was now fastening her own.

“Alright kids, we’re going to play a little game,” Jamie continued. “It’s called ‘hide from Agent Jamie.’ I want you to duck as low as you can in the seat. If I can see you, you lose. You too, Miss Clayton. Everyone gets to play. Got it?”

“Oh, I’ve never played this game before!” Flora said, diving into the floorboards.

Dani was in the middle and reached into the front seat to give Jamie’s arm a reassuring squeeze as she moved to the floor, Miles and Flora on either side of her. If Jamie could keep the mood light, Dani would try to do the same for them. Flora kept calling out to Jamie to see if she could see her. Dani didn’t know how Jamie kept playing along while also driving and scanning every building and car for threats. She was amazing. Dani couldn’t put into words how appreciative she was that Jamie was working so hard not to scare the kids.

In the front seat, Jamie’s mind was focused, all of her senses hyper aware. She couldn’t focus too much on the three lives she now held in her hands. If she did that, she could make a mistake. Her training kicked in like muscle memory. Seeing a traffic jam up ahead, she turned down a side street that Rebecca had identified as a short cut in her recon. Almost immediately, Jamie knew it was a mistake. As she got halfway down the empty street, trucks shot out from alleys in front of and behind her, effectively boxing her in. In the back of every truck were mercenaries with assault rifles.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of her hand. They were trapped.

A bullet hit the windshield right in front of Jamie’s face. But it hadn’t come from any of the mercenaries. It came from a sniper’s rifle. The shooter fired again, another shot aimed directly for Jamie’s head. The bulletproof glass held, but it was starting to splinter. The next four shots took out each of their tires. Jamie was vaguely aware of Flora and Miles screaming and of Dani pinning the children under her body, acting as a shield for whatever came next.

“Dani, whatever happens, you stay down and you stay in the car! Do not look! Ok?” Jamie said, as she pulled her own rifle from the floorboard, not even looking back at Dani.

“Ok!” She heard Dani yell. “Just be careful!”

_I’m about to take on ten men on my own, and I have a sniper on me. I’ll be as careful as I can be._

Before Jamie could respond, gunfire erupted from all sides as the mercenaries advanced on them, spraying their vehicle with bullets. Jamie couldn’t even hear the screams from the backseat anymore over the deafening sound. Almost all of the windows shattered at the same time, making them even more exposed and vulnerable. Jamie opened her door and knelt behind it, using it as a shield. She sprayed gunfire in the direction of the gunmen behind her first, before sending a round in the direction of the ones in front of her, too. 

A bullet slammed into her chest, pushing her back into the car. Her vest stopped it, but it knocked the wind out of her. Jamie was pretty certain she heard Dani call her name. She had to take out that sniper first or she didn’t stand a chance. Judging by the angle of the shots, Jamie guessed he was somewhere on the left side of the alley. Laying on her back in the front seat, she looked out the busted front window and saw light reflect from the sniper’s scope.

“Got you, you bastard,” she said, pulling out her handgun. She stood up quickly, popping out through the sunroof and fired one very carefully aimed shot at the sniper. His body fell off the roof and onto the street in a sickening thud.

But, there was no time to feel relieved, because while Jamie had been focused on taking out the sniper, the remaining mercenaries had advanced on the vehicle. Jamie slid back out of the car through the driver’s side and resumed shooting at them from behind her door. But there were too many of them. She took out three in front of her, but three more came up behind her, shooting her in the back. The impact sent her falling face first on the ground. 

Dani was holding the crying children close, not even trying to hold back the tears streaming down her own face. She couldn’t see much from where she was, but she saw Jamie fall. And she didn’t see her get back up. _Please let her be ok. Please._

Jamie stayed down, waiting for the gunmen to get closer to her. One of them came to kick her body and make sure she was dead. As soon as he got close enough, she rolled over and grabbed his leg, throwing him off balance and sending him to the ground. As soon as he was on his back, she jumped up and sent one bullet directly into his brain. Two other gunmen were on her immediately. Once brought his rifle down on her head, and she narrowly dodged the blow. The other drew a knife. In her periphery, Jamie was aware of the last four men opening the back door of the SUV and trying to grab Dani and the kids. Jamie delivered a roundhouse kick to the man with the rifle, making contact with his face and sending him backwards, giving her enough time to turn her attention to the one with a knife who was slashing wildly in her direction. She managed to catch his hands as he aimed for her face. She kneed him in the stomach and he doubled over in pain. Using his momentum against him, she twisted the knife towards him as he fell, the knife sinking deep into his gut. She pulled the knife out and quickly threw it in the direction of the man she had just kicked who was running back towards her. The knife landed in his throat.

“JAMIE!!!” Dani was screaming.

Jamie jumped and slid over the hood of the SUV, landing on the other side as two men were pulling Dani by her legs out of the backseat. Dani was kicking wildly. Her foot made contact with one man’s face, sending him stumbling backwards. The other man held her tight. She had grabbed something inside the car to steady herself and was not going easily. The man pulled a gun on her. _No!_

He fired at the same time as Jamie. 

_She always hits what she aims for_. That’s what Rebecca had told Dani. Jamie had aimed for the man’s head. He was dead before his body hit the street, his hold on Dani gone. Dani scrambled back in the car, trying to keep the children from witnessing the carnage. She saw the last three men descend upon Jamie. They were bigger and stronger than her, and she was clearly injured. Dani was terrified for her. Jamie fired her gun, but she was out of ammo. She had used her last bullet to save Dani. _Her body is a weapon_. Isn’t that what Rebecca had said? Jamie brought her gun up to hit one of the men on the temple, drawing blood and an angry scream from him. He lunged towards her and she hurtled herself on his back, wrapping her legs around his torso. He couldn’t shake her. The other two men were hitting her, but she didn’t let go. She had the man by the head and twisted. His body went limp when she broke his neck and she rolled off of him, springing up to fight the remaining two men. They both attacked her directly. She blocked and parried every hit, getting in a few of her own. Dani wanted to stop watching but she also couldn’t. As if realizing it was a losing battle, one of the men broke away to make another grab for Dani and the children.

Jamie knew she had to end this fight. Her attacker was wearing her down. Seeing the other man go after Dani gave Jamie the burst of adrenaline she needed. She ran towards the SUV and jumped towards it, pushing off with her legs to get some height and hurtling herself towards the man. She brought her elbow down on his face with a sickening crunch. All she had left was the man after Dani. Hearing Dani screaming her name tore at her. The man was so focused on Dani that he didn’t notice her come up behind him until it was too late.

Dani had lost track of where Jamie was and she feared the worst. Right as she was being pulled from the car for the second time, Jamie appeared. She was bloodied and had a wild, feral look in her eyes.

“Get off of her, you fucker!” She yelled as she grabbed the man by his jacket and repeatedly bashed his head into the side of the vehicle. She finally dropped him, letting his body fall to the ground.

“Dani? You alright?” She said, out of breath.

Dani could only nod in shock.

“Ok, come on out. Cover the kids’ eyes though. They don’t need to see this,” Jamie instructed, out of breath.

Dani scooted the kids out of the car, Jamie helping her out. Dani held the sobbing children close to her body as she followed Jamie. Dani glanced around the scene. There were bodies everywhere. All of them dead. And at Jamie’s hand. 

Jamie was looking for a car for them from the ones parked on the side of the street. They could hear sirens in the distance. No doubt everyone had heard the gunfire.

“Are we stealing a car?” Dani asked.

“Hardly the worst I’ve done today,” Jamie replied. “We have to get out of here. Now. We’ll have the car returned.”

Jamie picked the one that looked the fastest. She broke the window and unlocked the doors, motioning for them to get in quickly. Dani got in the backseat so she could comfort the kids as best she could. Jamie was pulling wires out of the dashboard, hot wiring it. Of course she was. 

Within minutes, they were speeding off, back towards the hotel. Jamie called Owen as she drove and told him as much as she could. He had been in pursuit of Peter Quint but had lost him. Henry was okay, thanks to Owen’s quick thinking. Dani couldn’t stop staring at Jamie. She had just saved all of their lives. She was incredible. Also scary. But incredible. She also looked like she had taken quite a beating and that made Dani angrier than anything.

Thankfully, they made it back to the hotel without any further incident. Owen and Rebecca were waiting for them.

“You look like hell,” Owen said to Jamie as she got out of the car.

“You should see the other guys,” she replied dryly.

“How many were there?”

“Eleven by my count. All dead.”

“You did good today, Taylor,” Owen said.

“Thank you. So did you. Let’s get them inside, yeah?”

Rebecca walked up to Jamie. “Are you okay?”

“Not particularly. Could have used you out there today, Jessel,” Jamie said.

“I know. I’m sorry. Let me help now,” Rebecca replied.

Jamie nodded in acknowledgement as she opened the car door for Dani, Miles, and Flora. The three agents hurriedly got them to their rooms. Seeing how shook up Dani was, Rebecca offered to take care of Miles and Flora, with Owen agreeing to help her. 

Dani and Jamie entered their room, the door swinging closed behind them. Jamie turned the deadbolt and latched the chain. Dani stood next to her, silently watching. Neither had said much to the other yet. They had both been more focused on Miles and Flora. Jamie wasn’t really sure what to say. She wasn’t sure how traumatized Dani would be. While she was debating what to say, Dani spoke first.

“Jamie, do you, like, need to go to the hospital or something?” 

_Of course, she’s worried about me_ , Jamie thought.

“Nah, it’s nothing serious. Probably just a few bruises is all. Most of this blood isn’t mine, so—“ Jamie trailed off.

Dani stared at her, not really sure what to say to that. She wanted to make sure Jamie was okay, but she didn’t know how to be there for her. Jamie spoke again.

“Dani, let’s get that vest off of you,” Jamie said gently.

“Oh. I kind of forgot I was wearing it,” Dani said, fumbling at the Velcro.

“Here, let me,” Jamie said, taking over and immediately noticing the bullet lodged in the front of her vest near her stomach. “Jesus, Poppins, you got shot!”

“What?!” Dani said, looking down and seeing it. She started to hyperventilate. “Just get it off me, Jamie!”

Jamie quickly undid the straps and pulled the vest over Dani’s head. “Better?”

Dani just nodded. Her eyes were squeezed shut. “I didn’t even feel it, Jamie,” she said, trying to hold back sobs.

“It was the adrenaline. I’m so sorry, Dani. I thought I shot him in time.”

“It’s not your fault, Jamie. You saved me,” she said, opening her eyes. She was shocked by the level of concern she saw in Jamie’s eyes.

“Can I have a look at it?” Jamie asked.

Dani nodded. Jamie carefully pulled up Dani’s shirt and sucked in air. “You’ve got a nasty bruise forming, Poppins. The ones at close range hurt the most.”

Dani looked down at her stomach and saw the bruise forming there, a reminder of how close she had come to dying. Jamie ghosted her fingers over the bruise, the coolness of her hand was soothing to Dani.

“You’ll be okay though, Dani. I’m just so sorry.”

“Please stop apologizing.” Dani realized that Jamie was still wearing her vest. “We need to get your’s off, too.”

“Yeah, I’ve got it,” Jamie said, quickly pulling her vest off. She winced a bit as she pulled it over her head and Dani grabbed it and helped. Dani held the vest out to examine it.

“Five bullets, Jamie!” She exclaimed. “You got shot FIVE times!” There were four in the back and one in the front.

Jamie shrugged. “Believe it or not, that’s not my record.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?! You could have died!”

“But I didn’t. It’s okay. I’m okay. Really. Look, let me get cleaned up a bit and then we’ll talk, okay?”

Dani nodded. “Okay. Do you need any help?”

“I’ve got it. Thank you though,” Jamie said, touched by Dani’s genuine offer.

Jamie went in the bathroom and gripped the counter. _That was close. Too close_. Jamie had done her job though and they were okay. The bruises at least would heal. She wasn’t sure about the emotional scars for Dani and the children though. _They never should have had to experience that._ She showered as quickly as she could, just wanting to get back to Dani. Jamie hurt everywhere, but overall, she had been lucky. It could have been so much worse. She looked better with the blood off of her face. Other than a cut above her eyebrow and some bruising, her face was relatively unscathed. Her torso had taken the brunt of it, her back covered in newly forming bruises with a matching one on her chest courtesy of the sniper. A small price to pay for Dani, Miles, and Flora’s safety, she decided. Jamie put on clean clothes and rejoined Dani in their room. Dani was sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

“Hey, you,” Jamie said gently.

“You look better,” Dani said quietly, her eyes roaming over Jamie’s body, looking for any signs of damage.

Jamie walked over to where Dani was sitting, stopping right in front of her. Dani finally burst into tears, which was exactly what Jamie had been expecting.

“Shh, come here,” Jamie said, wrapping her arms around Dani where she was sitting. Dani’s threw her arms around Jamie’s waist and buried her head in Jamie’s chest, tears streaming down her face. Jamie put one arm on Dani’s back and brought the other up to stroke her hair. She didn’t say anything. She just let her cry. She figured she needed to get it out. Jamie was used to danger; Dani was not. What Jamie was not ready to admit though was how much today had scared her, too. Not for herself, but because Dani was in the line of fire. For the first time, Jamie had something to lose today, and that terrified her. This feeling is what she had been trying to avoid her whole life. Dani mumbled something into her.

“What was that, Poppins?”

“I could have lost you today.” 

“Blimey, Dani. Is that what has you so upset?”

Dani just nodded against her. Jamie pulled her closer, not even caring that Dani was hugging her so tight it hurt. If this was what Dani needed, she would give it to her.

“I’m nothing to get worked up over. It’s you and kids that I’m worried about.”

Dani pulled back a bit to look up at Jamie. Jamie held her face in her hands.

“You are.”

“What?”

“You are something to get worked up over. You can worry about me, if you want, but I’m going to worry about you.”

_Blimey. This is exactly why they tell us not to get involved with people. Gets complicated real fast._

“Fair enough, Dani.” Jamie said, brushing away Dani’s tears with her thumbs. _No, don’t say that! What are you doing, Taylor? You are doubling down again instead of shutting up._

But what Jamie said seemed to help, and as Dani calmed down, she released Jamie’s waist. Jamie moved to sit down on the bed next to her, their shoulders brushing.

“You think the kids will be okay?” Jamie asked.

“I don’t know,” Dani said honestly. “That was a lot.”

“Yeah, it was. I’m really sorry all of you had to see that.”

“You were incredible, Jamie.”

“Don’t say that, Poppins. I am exceedingly good at killing. It’s nothing to be proud of. You probably shouldn’t even want to be around me.”

“Probably,” Dani confessed. “I should probably be scared of you. But I’m not.”

Jamie swallowed a lump in her throat. Could Dani really be this accepting of who she was? Dani reached over and took Jamie’s hands in her own, examining them. They were cut, bruised, and bloodied.

“You see, these hands,” Dani began, “I know they would never hurt me. So I have nothing to be afraid of.”

Jamie squeezed Dani’s hands. “No, you don’t have anything to be afraid of when it comes to me. I’m glad you know that.”

They both looked at each other and smiled. There was a knock on the door adjoining to Miles and Flora’s room.

_I hate whoever that is,_ Jamie thought, letting go of Dani’s hands.

“It’s Owen!” _Never mind. He’s okay._

“Yeah, come in, mate!” Jamie called.

Owen stuck his head in tentatively. 

“I’m really sorry to interrupt, but if you’re ready, we need to debrief,” he said to Jamie.

“Of course. I’ll be right there. Give me just a minute, ok?”

“Sure,” he said, backing out and closing the door behind him.

“You gonna be okay here for a bit?”

“Yeah, you go. I’ll be fine.”

“Ok. Be back soon.”

Jamie stood up, placed a kiss on Dani’s forehead, and then quickly walked away. She didn’t stay to see the smile spread across Dani’s face.

Jamie came back much later that night, after Dani had already put the kids to bed. She had two boxes in her hands.

“Hey! You’ve been gone awhile, but I got your texts. Thanks for not making me worry,” Dani said.

Jamie smiled. “Sure. Figured you’ve already worried about me enough today.”

“Yeah, I’ve definitely reached my quota.”

“Glad your sense of humor seems to be returning,” Jamie said.

“I’m still freaking out. It’s just more internal now,” Dani stated.

“That’s understandable. It takes time. You’ve been through a trauma today.”

Dani nodded in agreement and then changed the subject.

“Are those our dresses?” Dani asked.

“Yeah, but we don’t have to go tomorrow if you don’t want to anymore,” Jamie said, offering her an out.

“No, I want to.”

“Ok, we’ll go then. Hey, how are the kids doing?” Jamie asked, setting the boxes aside. She’d been worried about Miles and Flora.

“Really shook up. I think I’m going to have to get them in therapy after this trip. It was a terrible idea to bring them.”

“You’ll hear no argument from me on the matter. And have you spoken with your fearless boss?” Jamie asked, already knowing from Owen what Henry’s mental state was.

“Oh yes, I have. He seems to view his assassination attempt as a badge of honor. It’s deranged.”

Jamie frowned. “I wish he would keep his death wish to himself.”

“You and me both. So, what’s the news on the secret agent front?” Dani asked.

“Nothing I can talk about,” Jamie said, joining Dani on the couch. She looked exhausted.

“You have a mole in your agency, don’t you?” Dani stated more than asked.

Jamie sat up straighter and her eyes snapped to Dani’s, locking onto them.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Because it’s the only thing that makes sense. They’re always one step ahead of us. I mean, today was a fucking ambush, Jamie.”

“I know,” Jamie said quietly.

“As far as I’m concerned, you are the only one I can trust. You are the only one who almost died today.” Then she added softly, “You have your suspicions, don’t you?”

“Aye, I do. But I need proof.”

Dani nodded, knowing exactly what Jamie’s suspicion was and why it was so hard for her to admit. _Rebecca Jessel._

Jamie exhaled deeply and put her head in her heads.

“Let’s go to bed,” Dani suggested. “We can tackle it tomorrow.”

_We? Does she see us as a “we” now?_

“Yeah, we could both use some sleep. Start fresh in the morning.”

“We’re not going anywhere tomorrow, are we?” Dani asked, suddenly nervous.

“Other than the ball? Hell no,” Jamie said.

“Thank goodness,” Dani said, climbing into bed. 

Jamie climbed in next to her, laying on her back. She winced and sat up immediately.

“Are you okay?” Dani said, worried. She sat up next to Jamie and reached a tentative hand out but then withdrew it, not wanting to hurt Jamie.

“I think laying on my back is out of the question tonight.”

“Let me see,” Dani said, reaching for the hem of Jamie’s shirt.

“No, there’s nothing to see.”

“Jamie…” Dani said in her teacher voice, which did not invite argument.

Jamie nodded her consent and Dani lifted her shirt up.

“Oh my God, Jamie. This is awful.” She ran her fingers along Jamie’s back, much like Jamie had done earlier on Dani’s stomach. She tried not to notice how muscular Jamie’s back was.

“Getting shot is a real bitch, it turns out,” Jamie said, trying to make light of it. She didn’t know how to respond to someone being so gentle with her. No one had ever wanted to take care of her before. Ever.

Dani carefully pulled Jamie’s T-shirt back down. “What’s going to be the best way for you to sleep?”

“On my stomach, I suppose.”

“Look, if you’re comfortable with it, you can lay on me. I feel it’s only right that I’m there for you, seeing as how you took all these bullets for me.”

Jamie raised an eyebrow at Dani. “Would that make you feel better, Poppins?”

“Mmm-hmm. It would.” Dani laid down on her back and held her arm out.

_Bad idea, Taylor. Don’t do it._

Against her better judgement, Jamie scooted closer to Dani and laid her head on her chest. Dani guided Jamie’s arm to drape it over her own waist, knowing that Jamie wouldn’t make that move on her own. She put her arm around Jamie’s shoulder, pulling her closer. With her free hand, Dani pulled the covers up over both of them.

“Are you comfortable?” Dani asked.

“Yeah, actually, I am. But, if you —“

“Yeah, yeah, I know, if I tell anyone that you’re really a big softie even after your murder spree today, you’ll kill me, too? Is that pretty much the gist?”

“That’s pretty much it, yeah.”

“Goodnight, Jamie,” she said, placing a chaste kiss on Jamie’s forehead. “I trust you with my life.”

Jamie smiled. “Goodnight, Poppins.” _Do I trust you with my heart?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Nicole Haught has taught me anything, it’s to always put bulletproof vests on your lesbians. Thank you, Sheriff Haught. ;)


	7. The Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments on the last chapter. Each one makes me smile. You all are the best. :)
> 
> After this chapter, things are going to get pretty intense and stay that way. So, enjoy this little reprieve! This is basically almost 7,000 words worth of just pure Damie fluff and angst.

Dani woke up before the sun. She had too much on her mind. She was pleased to discover that that she still had a certain MI5 agent in her arms. Jamie was sound asleep curled up on Dani’s chest. _She must be exhausted. She’s barely moved all night._ When Dani had been with Edmund, she hated when he touched her while they slept. If this were Edmund, she would have pushed him off and rolled over hours ago. But, Jamie’s weight on her was comforting. She liked it. _Gosh, we’re not even dating and I feel this way. What is wrong with me?_

Dani loved how peaceful Jamie looked in her sleep. She couldn’t stop staring at her. Tentatively, Dani brought her hand up to Jamie’s head and ran her fingers through her hair. She wished it was something Jamie would let her do during waking hours, but she doubted that would ever happen. She would have to be content with this, whatever this was. She considered it a minor miracle that the agent even allowed herself to be this vulnerable with Dani. She didn’t get the impression she let many people in. And so Dani kept vigil over Jamie while she slept, lost in her thoughts.

Jamie stirred about an hour later, stunned to realize she was sleeping with her head on Dani Clayton and not a pillow. Dani was running her fingers through Jamie’s hair. She hadn’t realized that Jamie was awake yet. Jamie decided there was no harm in keeping her eyes closed for just a little bit longer and allowed herself to enjoy Dani’s gentle touch. Dani was the most caring person she had ever met and every moment spent in her orbit seemed like a gift. But, she knew she had to wake up. She moved a little bit so Dani would know she was awake, and as she predicted, Dani instantly stopped stroking her hair. Jamie decided she didn’t have to roll off of Dani just yet though.

“You awake, Poppins?”

“Yeah. Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“Surprisingly, yeah. What about you?”

“I’ve slept better this whole week than I have in a long time.”

“Mmm,” Jamie hummed, finally scooting off Dani, but not moving too far away. She laid on her stomach, resting her head on her arms, and looked over at Dani. 

“Jamie?” Dani rolled on her side and propped her head on her hand so she could look at Jamie.

“Yeah?”

“I know you don’t want to talk about it, and I get that, but I’m worried about Miles and Flora with Agent Jessel.”

“Well, this is a hell of a conversation to start first thing in the morning,” Jamie grumbled. “I haven’t even had my cup of tea yet.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But I just can’t shake this feeling.”

“I already have it covered, Dani.”

“You… you do?”

“Owen and I brought additional agents in last night to keep an extra watch on them. We won’t let anything happen to them.”

“Oh. That’s, that’s really good. Thanks, Jamie.”

“Did you think I didn’t know? That it was her, I mean?”

“I wasn’t sure. I’m sorry. I can only imagine how hard this is for you.”

“It sucks, Dani. Rebecca’s my teammate. And now here I am suspicious of her. But I’ve no proof, so I have to act like everything is fine.”

“I’m sorry,” Dani said again. “I just want you to know that I’m here, you know, if you want to talk.”

Jamie smiled. “Thank you. You know, it’s strange. The way we talk, I can’t believe we’ve only known each other four days.”

“Well, it’s five now,” Dani said smiling. “But yeah, I feel the same.” 

They were quiet a moment. Then Dani said, “Hey, how are you feeling this morning?”

“Honestly? Like I fought ten men with my bare hands yesterday.”

“That good, huh?”

“That good. But you’re still here. So are Miles and Flora. And that’s what matters.”

Dani smiled. “You know, I realized I never looked at those dresses you brought back last night.”

“Do you want to see them now?”

Dani nodded eagerly and Jamie smiled. She got off the bed and went to retrieve the boxes.

“Ok, this one’s your’s,” Jamie said, as she pulled a beautiful, long evening gown out of the box. It was a deep purple color with one diagonal strap across the shoulder and slits up both sides. It was stunning. “I figured purple was your color. And here are your accessories,” Jamie said, producing a diamond necklace and matching bracelet. 

“Oh, Jamie, everything is beautiful,” Dani said, in awe. Jamie was clearly pleased with herself based on Dani’s reactions. “And, do I get to see your’s?”

“Hmm… I guess you’ll see it tonight.”

“Such a tease.”

“You know me.”

For safety reasons, they all spent the day at the hotel. Dani was with Miles and Flora all day working on their lessons and also trying to help them process yesterday’s scare. Jamie and Rebecca were both with them all day. Jamie was working on her laptop most of the time, but she was always aware of what was going on. Dani noticed that she never left them alone with Rebecca. She wondered if Rebecca noticed that, too. 

The rest of the afternoon went by too slowly for Dani. She was focused on the dance that night. She honestly couldn’t wait to go. Since she knew about the extra agents on Miles and Flora, she didn’t feel guilty about leaving them. She did feel a little bad for being so suspicious of Rebecca though. She was honestly great with the kids. Surely she wouldn’t do anything to hurt them? But still, Dani just couldn’t shake the feeling that she was the mole. She thought back to that first day when Rebecca wanted her to get dinner with her. _Would she have handed me over to Peter Quint right then and there if I had gone with her? Did Jamie save me that time, too? Why would Rebecca even be involved with Quint? I’m missing something._

The afternoon dragged on, but it was finally time to get ready for the ball. Dani couldn’t wait to see what Jamie was wearing. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long. Dani said her good nights to the kids and she and Jamie went into their room. Dani locked the adjoining door, which she usually didn’t do. Jamie raised an eyebrow.

“What? I don’t want anyone walking in while we’re getting dressed, ok?”

“Yeah, fine by me.”

Dani pulled her dress out of the box and laid it on the bed. She then started taking off her clothes. Jamie was in the kitchen with her back turned to her and hadn’t noticed. When she turned around, Dani was in nothing but her undergarments.

“Whoa, Poppins!” Jamie exclaimed, her arms flying up in front of her face. “You gotta warn a girl before you do that!”

“Sorry, it’s just… can you help me get this thing on?” Dani motioned to the zipper as she stepped into the dress.

“Blimey,” Jamie said, coming around to help her. She stood behind her and started pulling the zipper up. “So, Dani, I gotta ask you. If I had been that male agent you were expecting, would this be happening right now?”

Dani turned around. “What do you mean?”

Jamie motioned up and down. “You know, the stripping naked and asking for help with your zipper bit? Hmm?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Ewwww. No. That’s gross, Jamie.”

Jamie laughed and shook her head. Then she took in the full sight of Dani in the purple dress.

“Wow.”

“Good wow?” Dani asked nervously.

“You look beautiful, Dani.”

Dani blushed. “You can’t say that until after I’ve done my hair and makeup!” She then ran into the bathroom to do just that. Jamie smiled and shook her head again, taking her own dress out of the box.

“Hey, Dani!” She called to her. “When you’re done, would you mind doing my hair and makeup, too? I’m shite at it!”

“Yeah, of course!” Dani called back.

Dani applied more make than she normally did, opting for a smokey eyes look. She also straightened her hair so it would look longer and sleeker. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she saw Jamie in her dress. Her jaw dropped. She was in a black gown that went down to her ankles. It had spaghetti straps and a scoop neck. But the thing that really drew Dani’s attention was the one slit up to her thigh, where Jamie was currently attaching her thigh holster. _A thigh holster?! Why is that so fucking hot? Holy hell._ Dani thought she might pass out from the sight.

“Holy shit,” Dani said, letting out a shaky breath.

“Oh, is that a good ‘holy shit’? Jamie teased, sliding her gun in the holster and clearly enjoying Dani’s reaction.

“Mmm-hmm,” Dani said, nodding appreciatively. She was so happy she had accepted the invitation to the ball.

“And can I tell you now that you look beautiful?”

“Ok,” Dani said in a small voice.

Jamie walked over to her and ran her hands down Dani’s bare arms, stopping at her wrists and holding them.

“You look beautiful, Dani.”

Dani smiled. “You do, too.”

“I can clean up when I need to.” 

_No shit_ , Dani thought. _And I thought she looked good in those black skinny jeans and leather jacket she likes so much. Snap out of it, Dani. Stop objectifying the woman keeping you alive._

“So, what did you have in mind for your hair?” Dani asked, mentally recovering.

“Can you do some kind of up do?” Jamie asked.

“Yeah, that would look great,” Dani agreed.

Dani directed Jamie to sit in the chair and then got to work. They were quiet while Dani worked, both of them enjoying the experience though neither would admit it. Dani had just finished and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Jamie’s hair was mostly up with just a few curls hanging down to frame her face. Dani decided to have Jamie’s eye make up match her own. The smokey look went great with the black dress, Dani thought. 

“Ok, you’re all done! You can go look in the mirror now.”

Jamie tentatively peeked in the mirror. She barely recognized herself. 

“Wow, Dani! Thank you! This may be the best I’ve ever looked. Owen won’t even recognize me.”

“Well, an artist is only as good as her canvas,” Dani said, winking.

Jamie blushed and held out her arm. “Shall we?”

Dani slipped her arm through Jamie’s. “Let’s go.”

The party was in full swing by the time they made their entrance into the ballroom, still arm in arm. Dani was thankful that Jamie was steadying her, as she wasn’t used to walking in heels. She marveled how Jamie was doing it, especially when Jamie’s heels made her a good inch or two taller than Dani tonight. _Just another one of her skills, I suppose._

They saw Owen almost immediately. He had clearly been waiting for them.

“There you two are!” He exclaimed. “You both look lovely.”

“Thanks, mate,” Jamie replied. “You always clean up good, too.” And he did look handsome in his tux, Jamie thought. _Too bad Hannah can’t see him right now._

“Dani, do you mind if I borrow Agent Taylor for a moment? I promise I’ll have her back to you in no time.”

“Oh, sure,” Dani said, reluctantly relinquishing Jamie’s arm.

“Why don’t you go scope out the hors d’oeuvres for us?” Jamie suggested.

Jamie followed Owen to a more secluded corner of the ballroom where they could talk. Jamie never took her eyes off Dani though. And Owen made sure to keep Henry in his line of sight.

“I talked with Hannah this afternoon. Shared more of our suspicions about Rebecca,” Owen said in a low voice.

“And how’d she take it?”

“It’s always hard to tell with her. You know how she is. Stoic. Of course, she wants proof. Urged us to be careful. Keep clear heads. That sort of thing.”

“Did she hack her phone like we asked?”

“Yes, and they couldn’t find anything,” Owen answered.

“What? She’s on that thing all the time. And you’re telling me there’s nothing? What about the phone call she got at breakfast yesterday?”

“Nothing. She came up clean.”

“She’s covering her tracks then. Maybe using a burner. I know it’s her, Owen. I know it,” Jamie said with conviction. “And if she put Dani in danger, she will answer for it.”

“I know, I know,” Owen said, trying to calm her. “But you and I both know that we have to go about this the right way. This is _Rebecca_ we’re talking about. We have to be sure. She’s one of us.”

“Is she, Owen? Because I just feel so… angry about it. So betrayed.”

Owen let out a deep breath. “I don’t know, Jamie, I don’t know. And that’s what makes this so hard. Is this really happening to us… again?”

Jamie put a reassuring hand on his arm. “Hey, you’ve still got me at least.”

“Well, I know I’m in trouble then,” he responded playfully.

“You are well and truly fucked, mate,” Jamie said, playing along. “Well, I better go check on Poppins. It looks like she’s already attracting an international array of suitors.”

Owen turned to follow her gaze. A man had approached Dani and was clearly asking her to dance. Jamie held her breath waiting to see what Dani would do. _Say no, say no, say no._ Jamie knew that Dani probably came here wanting to dance, but all of a sudden, the thought made her sick. _Am I going to have to watch her dance with other people all night long? Shoot me now._ Then, to her relief and amazement, Dani put her hands up in rejection of the offer. The young man walked away clearly dejected. Jamie smirked. Owen noticed.

“You better go rescue her then,” he said with a knowing smile.

“That’s what I do,” she said, strutting towards Dani.

Dani was so relieved when she saw Jamie walking towards her. And wow, what a sight that was. The way Dani could see her legs when she walked, knowing what was hidden to everyone else, was doing something to Dani. 

“Jamie! Don’t leave me again,” Dani said, pawing at Jamie’s arm.

“I was gone for like five minutes. What could have possibly happened?” Jamie asked, wanting to hear Dani’s version of events.

“A man asked me to dance!”

“Oh no,” Jamie said in mock horror.

“Stop it, Jamie! It’s not funny.”

Jamie snickered. “Well, did you at least do some recon on the snacks for me?”

“I sure did! Follow me,” Dani said, grabbing Jamie’s hand and leading her towards the buffet.

A few minutes later, they had staked out a spot at one of the high top tables along the perimeter of the room. They had five plates of hors d’oeuvres and desserts spread out between then, sampling items from each plate.

“Oh my gosh, this swanky party food is soooo good!” Dani exclaimed enthusiastically, reaching for another chocolate truffle.

Jamie laughed. She was just happy to see Dani enjoying herself. She watched the couples on the dance floor while Dani continued her thorough inspection of the food. The room was packed, everyone a dignitary of some kind, or their security detail like her. To the untrained eye, they would all blend in, but Jamie knew who was who. She clocked a man watching them from across the room and narrowed her eyes at him as he approached. Dani had not looked up from her plate to notice. Jamie was fairly certain she knew what his intention was. _Oh, this is gonna be good_. _I have a front row seat._ He was almost to them.

“Excuse me, miss?” He said to Dani.

“What?” She said, mouth full of food.

“Would you do me the honor of a dance?”

“What? Right now? Oh, I’m sorry, I can’t,” she said, gesturing towards the plates of food still waiting to be eaten. “Thank you though!” she added as he walked away.

Jamie snickered. “You gonna break hearts all night, Poppins? Hey, don’t eat all the crab dip. Give that here,” Jamie said, reaching for the plate in front of Dani.

Dani just glared at her, but Jamie wasn’t sure if she’d earned the glare for her comment or for reclaiming the crab dip.

“Do you want something to drink?” Dani asked her. “They have champagne over there.”

“I can’t, Dani, I’m working,” Jamie reminded her. “But you can have something, if you want.”

“I think I might need it,” Dani said, seeing another man heading their way.

This one stopped in front of Jamie. He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips for a kiss.

“Excuse me?” Dani said, scandalized.

He ignored her, keeping his eyes fixed on Jamie. “I am Renaldo. And you are?”

“Not interested, Renaldo,” Jamie said, pulling her hand back.

Poor Renaldo nodded and backed away respectfully.

“The nerve of some people,” Dani said. “I think I’m gonna need that drink now.”

Jamie laughed, enjoying how flustered Dani was and silently thanking Renaldo for bringing this reaction out in her. “You stay here and guard our food. I’ll get you that champagne,” Jamie said.

Dani watched Jamie the whole time, appreciating that dress from every angle. She watched no fewer than three more men hit on her on her way to the champagne station and back. It made Dani furious. She wished Jamie would punch them, even though she knew they didn’t deserve it.

Jamie was walking back towards Dani and got to watch yet another man ask her to dance. _They just keep coming, don’t they?_ She was starting to be fairly confident that Dani would reject them all, although she didn’t know why. Objectively, they were all very good looking and were probably great dancers. But, she was relieved that, for whatever reason, Dani was not interested. It made her job easier and it made her, well… less jealous.

“So, how many are you up to?” Jamie asked, placing a glass of champagne down in front of Dani.

“That was number three. Oh no, wait, here comes number four.”

Jamie laughed and leaned against the wall, watching the next devastating rejection.

“Ugh!” Dani exclaimed. “And how many are you up to?”

“Also four. Seems we’re tied,” Jamie replied. “These poor blokes.”

“We’re clearly driving them crazy,” Dani responded. “I blame you. You picked out these dresses.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s just the dresses,” Jamie said, rolling her eyes. 

Dani took a long drink of the champagne. They settled in for the next hour, finishing their plates of food and providing commentary on the guests at the ball. They had each spurned another man, keeping their totals tied at five each.

“Dani?” Jamie asked tentatively after number five walked away, head low, hoping he would have been different. “If you didn’t want people to ask you to dance, why did you want to come?”

“Well, honestly, there _was_ someone here I was hoping would ask me to dance,” Dani said meekly.

Jamie felt jealousy flare up in her. _So, there is someone? Who could it possibly be? Can I shoot him? Oh God, what if it’s Owen?_

“But she hasn’t asked me yet,” Dani continued.

_She?! Wait, is she talking about me? Does she want me to ask her to dance?_

Jamie brought her eyes up to meet Dani’s and saw the truth in them. _It is me._

Dani saw the moment the lightbulb clicked in Jamie’s mind. _Finally. I really had to spell it out for her. But will she actually ask me? Would she even want to?_

Jamie stood straighter and walked around the table so she was in front of Dani. Dani could feel the confidence radiating off of her.

“What do you say we give these boys something to talk about? Hmm?” She said, raising a conspiratorial eyebrow. She held her hand out to Dani. “Dani Clayton, will you dance with me?”

Dani’s smile was so big and bright that it nearly blinded Jamie. Dani eagerly took Jamie’s hand and let her lead her out onto the dance floor, finding an open spot for them to blend into the crowd. Dani seemed more than eager for Jamie to take the lead. Jamie slipped one arm around Dani’s waist and pulled her close, their hips touching. Dani placed her hand on Jamie’s very well-toned arm. They laced their other hands together, keeping some separation in their upper bodies so they could look at each other. Jamie began effortlessly leading Dani around the dance floor and Dani was swept up in it all, never taking her eyes off Jamie. She couldn’t stop smiling.

“Happy?” Jamie asked her, seeing that the answer was obvious but wanting to hear it anyway.

“Yeah. You’re really good at this. I mean, not like that’s a surprise or anything.”

Jamie smiled. “Happy to show you a good time.”

“And, I mean, it’s probably easier for you to keep me safe this way, right?” Dani said mischievously.

“Absolutely. Safety first,” Jamie said, playing along.

This far exceeded what Dani was hoping for when she suggested they dance. She expected the same amount of distance she saw in other dancers, in those who weren’t as comfortable or familiar with each other. But that clearly was not what Jamie had in mind. She had Dani pulled tightly into her, her strong arm holding her steady at the small of her back, their hips moving together. It was overwhelming to Dani in the best possible way. And then she observed the hands of the other dancers, loosely fitting together. She glanced at their own laced tightly together, “waffle style” is how Dani thought of it. Yes, this far exceeded her expectations.

Jamie was worried for a fraction of second that she had misinterpreted the nature of Dani’s request and was maybe holding her too close. But, the smile that had not left Dani’s face told her otherwise. This is exactly what Dani wanted. Jamie’s heart was thudding in her chest even though she looked calm and in control. She had never danced quite in this way with someone before. She felt like fireworks were going off in her body where Dani’s hand was resting on her arm, rubbing her thumb along it at random intervals, keeping Jamie guessing about when she would do it again. The way they were dancing was familiar, intimate even. _Don’t over analyze it. Just dance with her._

They danced this way for several songs, exchanging a few comments here and there. Jamie twirled Dani a few times, drawing a giggle from the blonde each time. They were nearing the end of a song. As the last note played, Jamie surprised Dani by dipping her low. It amazed Dani how easily she trusted Jamie, but how could she not when she had Jamie’s strong arm holding her? Jamie would never let her fall. They stared into each other’s eyes a moment before Jamie brought Dani back up. Then the music changed to a slow dance. Several couples left the dance floor. Dani didn’t want to pressure Jamie to dance if maybe she wasn’t ready for a slow dance.

“Did you want to go back to our table?” Dani asked, hoping the answer would be no.

“Not particularly. You?” Came the response.

Another smile from Dani. “Not at all.”

“Good,” Jamie said, releasing their hands and wrapping both of her arms around Dani’s lower back, pulling Dani’s body completely flush with her own.

Dani gasped and instinctively brought her arms up around Jamie’s shoulders. 

“Is this okay?” Jamie whispered in her ear.

“Yes,” was all Dani managed to whisper back.

Dani was now very thankful that Jamie wore the taller heels. It made her just the right height for Dani to rest her head on Jamie’s shoulder, hugging her even tighter, feeling Jamie’s toned body pressed against her own. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Jamie and knew this dance was making Jamie feel the same way it was her.

Jamie didn’t know how she continued to dance with Dani’s body touching her’s everywhere. When Dani laid her head on her shoulder, Jamie thought her legs would give out. The best she could do at this point was to rock side to side and take a few steps every now and then. Every nerve in her body felt alive in a way she had never experienced. There was no way Dani didn’t feel the same, she decided. There was no way to explain away this dance. _Oh boy…we’re going to have to talk later._

Neither wanted to separate when the song ended, but they had to. Dani reluctantly stepped back and looked at Jamie, who looked as overwhelmed as she felt, clearly at a loss for words. 

“My feet are killing me. Let’s see if we can find a place to sit,” Dani suggested, taking Jamie’s hand and leading her off the dance.

Jamie was so grateful for that. She didn’t really know what to say. And honestly, her feet were killing her, too. Dani found an unclaimed table near the back corner. The lighting was dim, most of it coming from the decorative candles on the table. They both sat down, happy to be off their feet.

“So, that was—“ Dani began.

“Yeah.” Jamie finished for her.

“You know, I’ve never danced with anyone like that before, not even Edmund,” Dani said.

“Ah, the ex-fiancé. I was wondering when we’d get to that bit.”

“You know about him?”

“Aye. It was in your file. What it didn’t say is why you ended it,” Jamie replied.

“Are you asking me, Agent Taylor?” Dani said, toying with her.

“Only if you want to tell me. I reckon it’s none of my business.”

“I don’t mind telling you, although it’s not something I talk about much. Eddie and I were childhood friends and our mothers have always been good friends. It was just sort of expected that we would get married and start a family. When he proposed, I felt like I had to say ‘yes.’ And, he’s a genuinely great guy. Smart, kind, funny. I didn’t want to hurt him, you know?”

Jamie nodded, encouraging her to continue and hanging on every word.

Dani continued, “But when it came down to it, I just couldn’t go through it with. It wouldn’t have been fair to either one of us, really. You see, I didn’t feel the same way about him as he did me. Not because he’s not a good man or wouldn’t have given me everything. I _couldn’t_ feel the same way about him. And I couldn’t keep making myself try to feel something that I wasn’t capable of. I decided that I had to be true to myself, even if it was hard, even if people got hurt. So, I finally told him that I’m gay and ended our engagement.”

Dani looked up at Jamie to see her reaction. Jamie’s head was spinning.

“And how did that go over?” She asked.

“About as well as you can imagine. Eddie was so upset he nearly walked in front of a bus. Now he mostly just hates me. He says I ruined his life. Of course, his mother won’t speak to me anymore either. My own mom practically disowned me. Told me I should try harder to be normal and that I was an embarrassment to the family, which is rich coming from her. So, in the end, I decided that I needed a fresh start. That’s when I moved to London.”

“Wow, Dani. That’s a lot. I’m so sorry that happened to you. And, I’m so glad you did what’s best for you. The people who love you should never make you feel ashamed to be who you are.”

“Thanks, Jamie. And thanks for not looking at me differently. At least, I don’t think you’re looking at me differently.”

“Only in a good different way,” Jamie said, smiling.

“Ok, I’ll take that,” Dani said, returning the smile easily and feeling a burden lift from her shoulders. It was important to her that Jamie knew about this.

“You know, I guess I had it easier in that way,” Jamie said, bringing Dani back from her thoughts, “I never had anyone to disappoint in that way. I could just be who I was without the dramatic coming out. No one cared, so I couldn’t disappoint anyone.”

Now Dani’s mind was spinning. She reached across the table and laid her hand over Jamie’s forearm.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie. I’m not sure which is worse. But, I can tell you this, I don’t know how you could ever be a disappointment to anyone. Ever,” she said with conviction.

Jamie fought back tears. “Thanks, Dani. I appreciate that.”

Dani nodded and squeezed Jamie’s arm in reassurance.

“It’s why I was recruited, you know?” Jamie began.

“What do you mean?” Dani asked, very much wanting to hear this story.

“I was recruited out of the foster care system. MI5 prefers people without families. It makes us better agents. No vulnerabilities. Nothing for an enemy to exploit. No attachment. Love, or any attachment really, is weakness. They recruited me right before I turned 18. It’s the only life I’ve ever known and the closest thing to a family I will ever experience. I don’t know what would have happened to me if MI5 hadn’t found me, hadn’t seen something in me, even if it was just someone they could mould into a weapon.”

Dani’s heart went out to Jamie. So many pieces of the Jamie puzzle clicked into place for Dani. Her heart ached for this beautiful soul who didn’t think she could love, who maybe had never known real love before from anyone. Knowing this information cast new light on everything that had happened between them that week and Dani could see how much Jamie was putting herself out there for her. Jamie was allowing Dani to see her, to be vulnerable with her. Dani felt incredibly humbled. She reached out and took Jamie’s hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Hey, you deserve love. You deserve to both give it and receive it. It’s not a bad thing. It can be a strength, you know.”

“That may be true for some people. But not for me, Poppins, not for me,” she said, pulling her hand away from Dani’s.

“Don’t do that,” Dani said.

“What?”

“Pull away. Not from me.” 

Dani left her hand on the table, palm up, in front of Jamie, giving her a chance at a do-over. Jamie stared at her hand, a silent battle waging in her heart. But, Dani would wait her out. Finally, Jamie put her hand back in Dani’s. Dani let out the breath she had been holding and gave a quick nod to Jamie, affirming her decision.

“You’re trouble, Dani Clayton,” Jamie said.

“The best kind, hopefully,” Dani responded.

“I guess that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?”

“I guess so,” Dani said. “You wanna get out of here? ”

Jamie stood up, offering her arm once again to Dani. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They passed Owen as they were making their way through the crowd and towards the exit.

“You lot heading back to the room?” He asked.

“Yeah, our feet are killing us in these fuckin’ heels,” Jamie complained.

“Can’t say I envy you all that. And the way you were dancing, I’m sure your feet must really be hurting,” he said, winking at Jamie.

Dani shot a panicked look at Jamie, wondering how she would react. Would she be embarrassed? But Jamie just laughed. She seemed so much more comfortable around Owen than Rebecca.

“Just doing my job, Agent Sharma.”

“We must have _very_ different jobs, Agent Taylor,” he said, laughing. “You all have a good night.”

“Goodnight,” they both said back.

“So, you’re not in trouble then?” Dani asked as they left.

“With Owen? Nah, he’s had a crush on the boss for years, so he’s not one to talk,” Jamie said. “He’s a really good man and a good friend,” she added.

Dani and Jamie returned to their room, making sure to lock it behind them.

“Ugh, I can’t wait to put some comfy clothes on!” Jamie exclaimed, finally kicking off her high heels. “Hey, can you unzip me really quick?”

Dani unzipped Jamie’s dress, wishing this was going somewhere more but also somehow knowing it wasn’t. 

“Me next?” She asked. 

Jamie returned the favor for her, also wishing that it could lead to more. She grabbed her shorts and T-shirt and headed into the bathroom to change. Dani sighed and grabbed her own sweatpants and a tank top to change into. She plopped down on the couch and waited for Jamie. They needed to talk. Jamie joined her a couple minutes later and sat on the other end of the couch, stretching her legs towards Dani. It wasn’t a long couch, so this put Jamie’s feet practically in Dani’s lap. Dani stretched out her own legs, mirroring Jamie. She took Jamie’s feet and moved them into her lap. Her hands resting on top of them. Knowing how sore Jamie’s feet were, Dani began gently massaging them. She heard a gentle moan escape from Jamie.

“Is this okay?” Dani asked.

“Don’t you dare fucking stop,” Jamie replied. 

_Well, that was a pretty clear response,_ Dani thought.

Dani continued to rub Jamie’s feet, daring to move up her legs a bit and massage her calves, as well. Jamie’s eyes were closed, simply enjoying the feeling. Dani tried to rub all of the soreness and tension out of Jamie that she could, wishing she could touch her in other places but also grateful for what she was being allowed to do. A few days ago, this would not have been possible. Satisfied that she had been thorough, Dani finally stopped and Jamie opened her eyes.

“Better?” Dani asked.

“Much. Thank you. Seems I’m not the only one with skills,” Jamie said with her signature smirk.

Dani laughed. “I give a mean back massage, too. But, you know…”

“Yeah, getting shot just sucks the fun out of everything. Another time maybe?”

“Anytime. My hands are your’s,” Dani said sincerely, holding them up for emphasis. Then she became serious. “Jamie, we need to talk.”

“Oh no,” Jamie said, bracing herself. _Here it comes._

“Here’s the thing, Jamie,” Dani began. “I like you. A lot. And I think you like me, too. I am ready to be all in here. It has taken everything in me not to kiss you tonight. And the only reason I haven’t is because I don’t know where you stand. Please tell me what you’re thinking. I know I’m not good enough for you, but I guess I just need to hear you say it.”

Jamie took a deep breath. Her heart felt like it would pound right out of her chest. She could keep her calm on a mission, but this right here, this terrified her. She reached down and moved Dani’s feet into her lap. She needed to feel connected to her in some way. She laid her hands on Dani’s ankles, just to feel grounded.

“Please don’t ever say you’re not good enough for me, or for anyone, Dani. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I want you to put that thought out of your mind, ok? I’m not gonna lie to you. I do like you. You’re not misreading it, and I won’t try to make you feel like you are. I want to kiss you, too, I really do. But it wouldn’t just be a kiss, it would be a promise. So, you see, I can’t kiss you because I can’t be with you.”

A silent tear slid down Dani’s cheek. “Why?” she whispered. “Just tell me why.”

“You know why, Dani. It’s the life I lead. It’s no life to bring someone else into. It doesn’t matter what I want. If I love someone, it ends in one of two ways. Number one: Something bad happens to them because of who I am. I make them a target. Or number two: Something bad happens to me and I leave them alone. That’s it, Dani. There’s no future with me. And I won’t put you, or anyone else for that matter, in danger. It’s just not fair.”

“But you _do_ feel something for me?”

“Yeah, I do. And I shouldn’t. I absolutely shouldn’t. You are my assignment. I’m in uncharted territory here, Dani. It honestly scares the hell out of me.”

“It’s okay to be scared. I’m scared, too, But, don’t I get a say in the matter? If it’s worth the risk to me, it should be my risk to take. I would never ask you to change or be something you’re not. I accept the risks that would come from being with you. It’s my life to do with what I will. And I choose you.”

“I can’t do it, Dani. If something happened to you, I would never be able to live with the guilt.”

“I think this week has proven that I can get in trouble all on my own. And you are the only one keeping me safe. By your logic, aren’t I safer with you than without you?”

Jamie was stunned into silence. _What the hell do I say to that? She does have a bit of point there._

“See? You know I have a point. Jamie, please give me a chance,” Dani pleaded. “I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. Everything about this week has shown me the kind of person you are. You are brave, kind, funny, beautiful. I feel safe with you in every way. And honestly, Jamie, the way you danced with me tonight was more intimate than any sex I’ve ever had. Everything with you is different. I’ve never felt more alive.”

Jamie’s heart was breaking. She’d never felt more alive either. She wanted more than anything to close the gap between them and kiss Dani with everything she had. She wanted to feel Dani’s lips moving against her own. She wanted to wake up naked next to Dani tomorrow, a promise having been made between them during the night. But she would do none of those things. That wasn’t a life she could have. Love wasn’t a luxury she could afford. Tears began streaming down Jamie’s face. She didn’t want to hurt Dani, but no matter how she responded, Dani would get hurt. It would just be now or later. The tears turned to sobs and she pulled her knees up to her chest, shrinking away from Dani. But Dani didn’t shrink away from her. No, Dani moved closer. No one had ever moved closer to Jamie when she had pulled away. Dani was crying, too, but she put her arms around Jamie and pulled her close, bringing Jamie’s head to her chest and stroking her hair.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie. You were just telling me that this was hard for you, that you’ve been taught the opposite of love your whole life, and then I pushed you. You were literally just telling me you’re not ready for this.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Jamie cried, clutching at Dani as if she were a lifeline in a storm, her fist gripping Dani’s shirt. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ll wait,” Dani said, suddenly decided.

“What?”

“You’re not ready. And that’s okay. But I know we have something special. And I will fight for us. So, I will wait for you… until you’re ready. You are special, so special, Jamie. And because of that, I will put what I want on hold. And what I want is you, all of you. But, I am not going to mess this up by pressuring you. That’s not love. You’re worth waiting for. But, I need to know that you’ll try. That you’ll meet me halfway. Just tell me that there’s hope for us and I will never give up fighting for you.”

Jamie knew she should break Dani’s heart right now and get it over with. She knew she should tell her that there was no hope. That she was too broken to love her, too scared to love her. But, the way Dani held her, even in the midst of rejection, was overwhelming. The things Dani said pierced her heart. No one had ever fought for her before. And, no one had ever really been bold enough to challenge her before. Jamie thought that if there was ever a chance of her loving anyone, it was Dani Clayton. If Dani could be brave, maybe Jamie could be, too.

“There’s hope,” Jamie whispered into Dani’s chest. 

Dani smiled through her tears and hugged Jamie closer, pulling her into her lap. There was hope. And that was enough for tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the next chapter is entitled The Disaster. That should be fine, right?


	8. The Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad you all enjoyed the dance in the last chapter and their confession of feelings for one another. :)
> 
> Here’s the next chapter! Special thanks to BeautifullyFlawed for suggesting that Jamie teach Dani some self-defense. I think these skills will come in handy!
> 
> Also, with the holidays coming up, I probably won’t be able to update daily. I just didn’t want anyone to worry or be surprised by that. You’ll still be getting your new chapters in a timely manner. :)

Jamie Taylor was starting to get used to waking up tangled in Dani Clayton. As Jamie woke up, she realized Dani was spooning her from behind, gently holding her, even in sleep. _After last night, I don’t deserve this from her._ Jamie replayed the events of last night in her mind. Their perfect dance. Dani opening up to her. Her opening up to Dani. Dani confessing her feelings for her. Her pushing Dani away. Dani not letting her. Her agreeing to try. Jamie was so confused. Dani had her thoughts all jumbled. She no longer knew if loving Dani, and being loved _by_ her, would make her weaker or stronger. She couldn’t effectively do her job and be with Dani. Her even falling for Dani was a violation of her professional ethics. It was all a mess. She felt Dani stir next to her.

“Poppins? You awake back there?” Jamie whispered. It was still dark outside; it would be hours before the sun came up. It seemed neither of them could sleep.

“Mmm hmmm,” Dani mumbled, nuzzling her nose into Jamie’s neck.

“Dani? Are you okay? I know I upset you last night, and I’m truly sorry for it,” Jamie said in a quiet voice. “I know things didn’t go the way you hoped they would.”

Dani was fully awake now, tightening her hold on Jamie’s stomach and keeping her close.

“Do you feel any differently now?” Dani asked tentatively, not sure if things could have changed in a better or worse way for her overnight.

“No. I feel very torn, very confused about everything still. I know I should let you go, but I also don’t want to. I feel I didn’t express myself very well last night.”

“Tell me now then,” Dani said, her voice full of patience and understanding.

“Ok,” Jamie began, “Dani, you are the most amazing person I have ever met.”

“I am?” Came the quietly shocked reply from behind Jamie.

“Aye, you are. I’ve never met anyone like you. And I just feel this connection to you. Felt it from the first moment I saw you, if I’m honest. But nothing in my training prepared me for this. I’ve always had no trouble compartmentalizing my feelings, just focusing on my job. Life was easier that way. But then you came along. And now I don’t know which way is up. All I know is that I think about you all the time. And, when I’m not with you, all I can think about is getting back to you.”

“Oh,” Dani whispered.

“And you see, I thought I could push you away last night and make this confusion go away. But then you held on. And you didn’t hate me for trying to push you away. And you didn’t run away either. You made me feel safe. And you’re not afraid to call me out on my bullshit. And now I’m laying here admitting to myself that I want you, too. You are brave in a way that I am not, Dani. But, for you, I think I want to be brave in that way, too. I just don’t know how.”

Dani placed a gentle kiss on Jamie’s neck. “I’ll help you,” she whispered. “Let’s just take it one day at a time, ok? You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”

Jamie nodded. “One day at a time. Ok. I think I can work with that.”

“Good. I understand that you have a lot to work through and you need to do it in your own time and in your own way. I’m not going anywhere.”

Jamie didn’t respond, but she reached for Dani’s hand around her waist and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Hoping to lighten the mood, Dani said, “Now, can we revisit the whole kissing thing? Because, I’ve got to be honest, sleeping next to you every night is driving me crazy.”

Jamie laughed. “I did offer to sleep on the couch.”

“Ugg Jamie!” Dani said in mock frustration. “I’m starting to think your real superpower is your willpower.”

Jamie chuckled. “Might be. Or might be that I just want to do this right. Because it matters to me that much. It’s never mattered to me with anyone else before. I don’t want to be with you until I can give all of myself to you. My head is a mess right now. And that’s not fair to you.”

“I mean, I think I would be okay,” Dani said playfully. “But I understand what you’re saying and I respect it. I guess I’ve never had anyone care about me like that before.”

“Maybe the feeling is new for the both of us.”

“All I know is I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that badass Agent Jamie Taylor is considering making an exception for me,” Dani bragged.

Jamie scoffed. “You’re crazy, Poppins.”

“Only for you.”

“Go back to sleep,” Jamie instructed, pretending to be annoyed.

“I can’t.”

“Seriously?”

“Nope, can’t sleep now. You said nice things about me, and I’ll just be laying here thinking about them until the sun comes up.”

“Ok, that’s it. Get up,” Jamie said bossily.

“Wait, what?”

“We’ve got, what, a couple hours before you have to get Miles and Flora up?”

“Yeah…”

“Ok, so there’s something I was going to suggest to you later, but there’s no time like the present.”

“Ok???” Dani said, having no clue where this was going.

“With all the danger you’ve found yourself in lately, I was wondering if you’d like me to teach you a few things? Like self-defense things. You have good instincts already, but there are some moves I could show you. If you want, that is.”

_Moves she can show me? This sounds like a hands on activity_ , Dani thought. _I am so in._

“Jamie, that’d be great. Thank you,” Dani said, her voice not betraying the excitement she felt.

Jamie smiled, proud of her suggestion.

“Right then. Put on some workout clothes and some comfy shoes. We’ll go down to the hotel gym. No one should be there this early.”

Dani bounded out of bed and went to her suitcase to select the appropriate clothing. She was already looking forward to her lesson.

Twenty minutes later, Jamie and Dani entered the hotel gym. Jamie locked the door behind them so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Being alone with Jamie like this always made Dani’s heart flutter. They were both wearing yoga pants and tank tops, and both trying their best not to overly stare at the other in their tight clothing. Dani’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and Jamie loved getting to see her face so clearly. To her, Dani looked just as beautiful like this, with no makeup, hair pulled back, and in workout clothes, as she did last night at the ball.

“You know, you are only making this harder on yourself,” Dani said smugly, noticing Jamie’s eyes roaming over her.

“Shut up, Poppins,” Jamie replied, trying not to smile.

Jamie grabbed a few mats from the corner of the room and spread them out over the floor. Dani started to get a little nervous. Jamie picked up on it.

“Don’t worry, we’re just practicing. No one will get hurt.”

Dani nodded. “I trust you.”

“Good. Alright, come over here on the mat with me.” Dani complied. “Good. Ok, a few basic pointers first. Try to always aim for vulnerable places— eyes, nose, throat, groin. Try to avoid the chest; you won’t be able to do enough damage there. Your attackers will most likely be bigger and stronger than you. They will always underestimate you, and you can use that to your advantage. If possible, you always want to try to avoid a fight. If you can, throw things at them, anything that’s around you. They can’t dodge projectiles and attack you at the same time. That can give you time to get away. Got all that?”

Dani nodded. “Got it.”

Jamie continued, “In the event you have no choice but to fight, let’s go through some possible scenarios. Now, for starters, you pretend to be the attacker and I’ll show you how I would respond. Then we’ll switch roles and you can try. Ok?”

“Ok. I’m ready. Just tell me what to do.”

“Ok, pretend to come at me head on, like you’re going to hit me in the face.” Then she added, “But, uh, don’t actually hit me, ok? I’ve seen you in action and I do _not_ want to be on the receiving end of that!”

Dani laughed. “Yeah, no worries. I reserve my punches for the bad guys.”

Dani took a swing at Jamie’s face, and Jamie dodged it, bringing her hand up to grab Dani’s arm and twist, throwing her off balance. “The best thing you can do is avoid a hit altogether. Most of these guys coming after us are big and strong, but their size makes them slow. We are faster than them and can use that to throw them off. So, you dodge. Then use their own momentum to throw them off balance.”

“Got it. And then what?”

“Run, if you can. The idea is not to get into a fight if you don’t have to. Ok, now you try.”

Jamie came at Dani and she dodged by pivoting to the side, just like Jamie showed her. She grabbed Jamie’s arm and swatted it away, sending Jamie stumbling forward.

“Good. You’re a quick learner. Time for the next one.”

Dani bounced up and down. “I’m ready, Coach!”

Jamie laughed. “Ok, next lesson. Your elbow is your friend. You can deliver stronger hits with your elbow with a lower likelihood of getting hurt than with your fist. You can also get some good momentum. Come at me from the front again.”

Dani did and Jamie demonstrated how to bring her elbow up for a strike in the temple, stopping just short of hitting Dani.

“Ok, now you try. It’s important to have a strong base with any of these moves. It will stabilize you and give you momentum. Here, like this.” Jamie put her hands on either side of Dani’s hips, getting her in the correct stance. 

Dani tried really hard to focus on what they were doing and not Jamie’s hands on her hips. It was a mostly losing battle. She wondered if Jamie felt anything touching her like this or if she was too focused on the task at hand to really think about it. Dani didn’t have time to contemplate it further. Jamie came at her and Dani brought her elbow up to Jamie’s face just like she had showed her.

“Good. Faster next time. More power. You can add some rotation to it, too,” Jamie said, grabbing Dani’s hips again and rotating them. “Got it?”

“Mmm hmm,” Dani managed to say _,_ her brain totally short circuiting every time Jamie touched her there, trying not to think what it would feel like if Jamie’s hands moved down just a— _Stop, Dani. Focus._

They did this move a few more times until Jamie was satisfied that Dani had mastered it. “Ok, next move. The heel of your hand to the nose or throat is a very effective deterrent,” she said, bringing her own hand up towards Dani’s nose. “You want to thrust upwards. Boxing the ears with open palms can also be very disorienting. All of these things buy you time to get away. Ok, show me.”

Dani practiced aiming for Jamie’s nose, throat, and ears. Jamie gave her pointers as they went, like how to recoil her strikes for maximum effect. Dani was a quick learner, and Jamie was clearly pleased with the progress she was making.

“Ok, I think you are ready for some more advanced moves. So, let’s say your attacker grabs you from behind. Come behind me and grab me,” Jamie directed.

Dani blushed a little but complied. She stood behind Jamie. “Uh, where should I grab you?”

“Waist,” Jamie said. 

Dani wrapped her arms around Jamie’s waist as instructed.

“Good. Ok, they are going to try to pick you up, so the first thing you want to do is bend forward at your waist to make that difficult,” Jamie said, bending forward to demonstrate. “As you do that, throw your elbows up to strike repeatedly on either side of their face, sort of like we just practiced.” Jamie did this in slow motion to show Dani. “While they are recovering, turn into your attacker, and finish him off with a knee to the groin. As he falls, you run away.” Jamie then mimicked those moves for Dani, who was not at all prepared for what it would feel like when Jamie’s knee softly pushed between her thighs, just barely grazing her where she wished Jamie would touch her most. She let out an involuntary gasp.

Jamie was startled. “Poppins, you okay? I didn’t hit you, did I?” Jamie said, worried, knowing that she hadn’t put any force behind any of the moves. 

“I’m— I’m fine. I just wasn’t ready is all. I am now,” Dani said, recovering. _I’m going to need a cold shower after this._

Jamie felt like she missed something, but she decided to move on. “Ok,” she said, as she moved behind Dani and quickly grabbed her around the waist. “Now you try.”

Dani struggled a bit and Jamie had her lifted off the ground before she could execute any moves.

“Faster, Dani. Don’t give me time to pick you up again.”

Dani was getting frustrated, but she finally got fast enough to jab her elbows up at Jamie’s face. Twisting around was still hard though. She spent 15 minutes trying to shift her weight just right to be able to turn around and deliver the knee to the groin before she got it right, careful not to actually hit Jamie. They were both sweating now.

“That was good, Dani. Be careful about getting frustrated though. Try to keep your emotions in check as much as possible. A clear mind is your friend in a fight. You make mistakes when you get angry, yeah?”

“Yeah, ok,” Dani said, adrenaline pumping. “What’s next?”

“Ok, a variation of that last one. But, this time, I come up behind you and trap your hands so you can’t move them.”

Jamie moved behind Dani and quickly wrapped her arms around Dani, pinning Dani’s arms to her own chest. 

“Ok, let’s think through this one together. How do you get out?”

Dani wasn’t sure that she wanted to get out of this, but she knew it wasn’t the time for a flirtatious comment. Jamie was in her professional mode. She struggling against Jamie but couldn’t move. She was too strong and held her too tightly.

“I’m stuck. I don’t know,” she admitted.

Jamie brought one of her hands to Dani’s hips, thankful to show her any move that allowed her to touch Dani like this. “You can shift your hips, yeah? Turn into me a bit. If you do that, what does that open up?”

Dani still wasn’t sure. Jamie patted her elbow.

“My elbow,” Dani confirmed.

“Right, and what is your elbow lined up with, hmm?”

Dani looked down and blushed. “Your groin.”

“Exactly. So, you elbow me there. Yeah, go ahead and do that now.”

Dani gave a fake hit and Jamie pretended to fall. “Now, as I’m falling, follow it up with a knee to my stomach or face. Where exactly will just depend on the timing.”

Dani grabbed Jamie’s head as she fell and pretended to knee her face.

“Yeah, that’s really good, Dani. I would not have come back up from that anytime soon.”

Dani beamed at the praise. “Ok, but can I stop hitting you in the groin now?”

Jamie had just taken a drink from her water bottle and promptly spewed it out. “Poppins!”

“What?! I’m just worried I’ll actually hit you eventually, is all.”

“Appreciate the concern,” Jamie said, blushing. “Does this mean you don’t want me to teach you how to get out of a headlock?”

“If it involves a hit to the groin, I think I understand the concept at this point,” Dani said, desperate to stop thinking about that particular part of Jamie’s body.

Jamie narrowed her eyes at her. “Ok, we’re going to do something really hard then, since you’ve graduated and all.”

_Gulp_. Dani knew she was in for it now.

“You’re going to have to flip me off of you.”

“Oh boy. You’re going to flip me first, aren’t you?” Dani was getting nervous.

Jamie was piling a couple of extra mats up to make for a softer fall.

“You know it. Ok, I want you to jump on my back.”

“Jamie,” Dani protested. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It doesn’t hurt as bad today. Don’t worry about me. This is important. Come on. Grab me by the shoulders first and I’ll talk you through it.”

Against her better judgement, Dani complied and stepped forward towards Jamie, facing her. She put her hands on Jamie’s shoulders.

“Ok, so you’re fighting like this. I’m going to make sure my hands are on the inside.” Jamie moved her hands to Dani’s shoulders, closer to her neck. “Now, I’m going to turn away from you,” she said, pivoting to the side, “and I’m going to grab your arm and pull you on my back. This will throw off your balance.”

“Can confirm!” Dani said, as her feet were lifted off the ground.

“Next I’m going to bend into your hips, squat, and lift. Like this. And then I’m going to yank your arm and roll you off from hip height, and—“

Jamie flipped Dani right off of her and onto the mat, knocking the air out of her. Jamie had her hand around Dani’s throat, keeping her pined down. “And then you finish them like this,” she said, releasing Dani’s throat.

Dani sputtered and rolled off the mat.

“You okay?” Jamie asked, worried that maybe she was too rough with Dani.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You shouldn’t go easy on me. They certainly won’t.”

“You ready to try?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

It took Dani quite a few tries, and she worried how hard this would be with a full-grown man if she struggled with Jamie, but she eventually got it. She flipped Jamie with a force neither of them was quite expecting. Dani ended up toppling over with her.

“Fuuuuuck!” Jamie exclaimed as she was flipped to the ground, Dani landing on top of her.

“Oh my gosh! Jamie! I’m so sorry!” Dani said. “Are you okay?”

Jamie opened her eyes. Dani’s face was inches away from her’s. She was still laying on top of her. Jamie was trying really hard to keep her thoughts focused on the task at hand, but like Dani, she was fighting a losing battle, especially when Dani was on top of her.

“That was really good, Dani. But, we need to do it again. And this time you need to stay upright. Yeah?” Jamie said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” she said rolling off of Jamie and standing up. She offered Jamie her hand. Jamie took it and let Dani pull her to her feet.

“Are you sure you want to go again?” Dani asked.

“No, but we’re gonna.”

After a few more tries, Dani was successfully able to flip Jamie over her shoulder. She pinned Jamie to the ground, just like Jamie had demonstrated with her. She hovered over Jamie longer than was necessary just staring down at her. She moved her hand from Jamie’s throat to the side of her face, running her thumb along Jamie’s cheek. Dani’s eyes were full of love for Jamie and what she had done for her this morning. Jamie just stared up at her silently, unsure of what to say. Dani leaned down and placed a kiss on the tip of Jamie’s nose.

“Thank you,” she whispered, “for caring enough to do this.” She finally stood up and offered her hand once again to Jamie.

Jamie certainly didn’t need help getting up, but she took Dani’s hand all the same and allowed herself to be pulled up.

“My pleasure,” Jamie said, beaming. “You did really good. I’m proud of you, Dani. So proud.”

Dani pulled her into a hug and Jamie was happy to return it.

“You’re a really good teacher,” Dani said. 

Jamie smiled. “The kids are probably up by now. We should go.”

Once everyone was showered, dressed, and ready, it was time for them all to attend the peace summit, which was being held in the convention center not far from the hotel. Miles and Flora were less than enthused. Dani wasn’t excited about it either, but it meant that she got to sit next to Jamie all day. It would also likely be boring. Boring was exactly what she wanted after the past two days. She planned to just sit in the auditorium and replay all of her moments with Jamie in her mind. She had so much to think about. 

Since they were down one SUV, MI5 sent a limo to pick everyone up. Jamie didn’t like not driving herself, but she knew the agent behind the wheel and was comfortable with him. Much to Jamie’s disappointment, Flora seated herself between Jamie and Dani. Miles was on the other side of Dani. Jamie figured she couldn’t begrudge them this, especially when she had gotten to cuddle with Dani all night. The thought made her blush. Dani noticed, peering at her over Flora’s head. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking is all.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Dani said, knowingly.

_Yeah, I’m not going to be able to get away with anything ever again,_ Jamie thought. _She’s too perceptive._

Jamie looked up at Rebecca sitting across from her, along with Owen and Henry. Rebecca was staring at her and Dani. Jamie just narrowed her eyes at her, prompting Rebecca to look away. Jamie spent the rest of the short drive staring out the window.

They arrived at the convention center and the agents quickly ushered everyone inside and into the auditorium. It was a large auditorium, with an open landing in the back where the catering was set up and three aisles of stairs leading down to the stage area. They had reserved seating near the front, but Henry and Owen were sitting on the stage with the other dignitaries who would be speaking. Jamie wished Owen was staying with them. She didn’t like being left with Rebecca, but she did like keeping an eye on her. Jamie made sure that she was sitting next to Dani this time. There was no way she would survive the whole day with a child sitting between them. Jamie was on the end of the aisle, with Dani, Flora, Miles, and Rebecca filling in next to her. Jamie smiled at Dani as she took her seat next to her. She loved the way Dani returned her smile so easily. When the lights dimmed and the first speaker went up to the podium, Dani moved their shared armrest up and scooted next to Jamie so their shoulders were touching. That feeling alone made Jamie crazy. _You’ve got it bad, Taylor._

The morning droned on. Every time Dani had to lean away from her to tend to Flora, Jamie missed their connection. Jamie was also mindful of the fact that she needed to be on guard. The auditorium was swimming in security, but she knew danger could find them anywhere. Thankfully, the morning was uneventful. By lunchtime, Miles and Flora were fidgety. They had just finished the buffet lunch in the lobby.

“I think maybe they should go back to the hotel,” Dani said, pulling Jamie aside. “They aren’t going to make it all afternoon. They’re too restless and bored.”

“Hmmm…” Jamie said, sounding troubled.

“What is it?” Dani asked. “We can go back, right?

“You can, yes, but my orders were to remain here the entire day as backup for Owen.”

“Oh,” Dani said, realization dawning on her. “I don’t want to go back without you.”

“I don’t want you to either,” Jamie said matter of factly. “I don’t want you out of my sight, and I honestly won’t be any good to Owen if I’m worrying about you.”

Dani hated herself a little bit for loving that. Jamie being protective over her made her feel warm inside.

“So, we’ll stay then.”

“We could send the other agents back with the kids. They’ll be safe,” Jamie suggested.

“What about Rebecca?”

“She has to stay here, too. Same orders as me.”

“Ok, that’s good, then, right?” Dani asked, relieved.

“It is. I’ll make the call,” Jamie said, pulling out her phone. 

Within minutes, three agents reported to Jamie and she introduced them to Miles and Flora, who were more than ready to leave. They didn’t understand why Dani wasn’t going with them, and Dani began to feel guilty. Thankfully, one of the agents informed them that he had brought a Nintendo Switch and they could play Mario Kart all afternoon. The cheers from the children showed that they had already forgotten about Dani and they happily left with Agent Todd, who they were already calling “Agent Mario.” Jamie made a mental note to suggest a promotion for the young agent when they returned to London.

“See you later!” Dani called after them.

“Bye Miss Clayton!”

“Funny you’re not going with them,” Rebecca said, coming alongside Dani. 

“Oh yeah, I’m just really interested in the summit,” Dani lied. 

“Mmm hmm, I thought maybe it was Agent Taylor you were more interested in,” Rebecca replied, walking away before either of them could respond.

“What is her deal?” Dani asked, turning to Jamie, who was fuming.

“I’ll tell you later. Not here though.”

“Later then,” Dani confirmed.

Jamie and Dani returned to their seats for the afternoon session, but Rebecca wasn’t there.

“Hey, where did Rebecca go?” Dani whispered to Jamie as the program resumed and everyone clapped.

“No idea, but I don’t like it,” Jamie whispered back.

Jamie’s instincts were on high alert, but she didn’t fully know why. She looked up on the stage. Owen and Henry were there and accounted for. They both looked fine. Owen didn’t seem any more worried than usual. Dani was safe next to her. And the kids were already back at the hotel and settled in with the agents. Agent Todd had already texted her about which character everyone had chosen to play as and sent a photo. That was good enough for Jamie to relax about them. So, it was only Rebecca who was unaccounted for. That troubled Jamie greatly. She could tell by the tension in Dani’s jaw and shoulders that she was worried, too. Jamie leaned over and showed her the photo of Miles and Flora playing. That seemed to help her relax a little. Jamie knew Dani probably felt guilty about staying, but selfishly, she was glad Dani stayed with her. 

Jamie glanced around the auditorium, looking for anything that was different or out of place. Her eyes flitted over the catering staff. Were those the same employees as this morning? They all looked different to Jamie. _Could be a different shift?_ But, something didn’t feel right. Jamie surreptitiously snapped a few photos of them on her phone and sent them to MI5 to have them run through facial recognition. Jamie looked at the program again. Henry was scheduled to speak at 3:00. It was 2:45. _Where is Rebecca?!_

“Hey, Poppins. I need to go check on something. I’ll be right back.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I hope so. Be right back.”

“Ok,” Dani said watching Jamie walk away. She lost sight of her when she went backstage, flashing her credentials to the guard stationed there.

Owen noticed Jamie leave. He also noticed Rebecca’s absence. He began to feel nervous. Something was wrong.

Jamie’s phone dinged as she entered the backstage area. It was MI5 with the results of the facial recognition analysis.

_Fuck!_

Every single “caterer” she had taken a photo of was one of Viola’s mercenaries. The real caterers must have been replaced with them during lunch. _No, no, no, no, no!_ They were surrounded. There was one of them at every door. The attendees were sitting ducks. Jamie wanted to run back to Dani immediately. She had left her exposed. But what could she do there? She had to find out what was happening. And Rebecca was still unaccounted for. Jamie sent a quick text to Owen with her discovery about the mercenaries surrounding them.

Dani watched Owen read his text message. Somehow she knew it was from Jamie. _Something is wrong. Jamie, where are you?_ Dani was nervous and suddenly her mouth felt very dry. She decided to go grab a bottle of water from the back. She would be back in her seat in a minute.

Jamie was now directly under the stage. It was dark so she turned on the flashlight on her cell phone, sweeping the area with light. Something near the center caught her attention. She ran over to it.

_NO!!!_

Jamie knew what it was before she even got all the way to it. There was enough C4 there to bring the whole room down. No one close to this bomb would survive. It was directly under the podium, where Henry Wingrave was about to speak. Jamie frantically followed the wires, hoping she could diffuse it in time. She carefully opened the main compartment, her hands steady. Her heart sank when she saw the timer. 45 seconds. She could never diffuse it in time.

She knew she had to move quickly. Jamie was acutely aware that both Dani and Owen, the only people who mattered to her in the world, were in the direct path of the bomb. And then she remembered the mercenaries guarding every door. _We’re fish in a barrel,_ she realized morbidly. _I can’t save all these people._

Jamie noticed a grate at the front of the stage. It would be just big enough for her to exit without having to run backstage and then back out into the auditorium, which she didn’t have time for. _I maybe have a chance._ She glanced at the timer. 43 seconds. She looked out the grate to where Dani should be sitting. She wasn’t there! _Where the bloody hell are you, Dani?!_ Jamie spared one second to scan the room for Dani, knowing she couldn’t spare more than that. There! In the back! She caught a glimpse of Dani’s blonde hair. She was getting a bottled water and starting to walk back down the stairs to her seat, closer to Jamie and closer to the bomb. Above her, the crowd was clapping for Henry. _No! Now I have to wait for them to stop clapping._ 8 precious seconds passed while Jamie waited for the applause to stop. In that time, she moved to the front of the stage, where no one would be standing above her. As soon as the clapping subsided, she unholstered her gun and fired three shots directly up, kicking open the grate as soon as the last shot was fired.

As predicted, at the sound of gunfire, everyone screamed and fled from their seats towards the exits. She could at least give people a chance and get them as far away from the stage as possible. Jamie trusted that Owen was getting Henry to safety, but she couldn’t spare a glance back to check. Her eyes were locked on Dani. Poor Dani, who looked so scared. Jamie could see her name repeated on Dani’s lips as she frantically searched for her. _I’m coming!_ Dani was being swept up in the crowd, but Jamie never lost sight of her. Jamie jumped up on one of the chairs in the front row and then leaped from the back of one chair to the next, her forward momentum helping her balance on the narrow chair backs. She was moving fast this way, avoiding the now crowded aisle and closing the distance to Dani. She was parallel to Dani, but Dani couldn’t see her. The fear on Dani’s face was gut wrenching. Jamie knew she would be to her in a matter of seconds. And seconds was all they had.

Dani was now at the back of the auditorium. She was frozen in place, people rushing by her. She was vaguely aware that people were pounding on the doors to get out, but that the doors were barred. All she could think about was Jamie. She just needed to find her.

Jamie got to the last row of chairs and pushed off as hard as she could, launching herself into the air towards Dani, who was thankfully standing still and away from the mob trying to get out the doors. She collided with Dani, wrapping her arms tightly around her and knocking her to the ground.

“Jamie!”

“I’ve got you!”

She quickly rolled Dani over so she was face down. Jamie covered Dani’s body with her own right as the bomb exploded, ripping through the auditorium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how’s everybody doing? You’re all okay, right? Everything is fine?


	9. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for the wonderful comments on the last chapter. You all are really spoiling me. :) Much love to each and every one of you reading this.
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!

Dani’s ears were ringing. Everything sounded muffled and she couldn’t gather her thoughts. Where was she? What happened? She was aware of a weight moving on top of her. _Jamie!_ She remembered Jamie knocking her to the ground right before. Right before what? She heard popping sounds all around her. But they sounded distant. Or was that just because something was wrong with her ears? She opened her eyes. Bodies. There were bodies around her. The room was dark, lit only by fires scattered throughout. She was in the auditorium. There were bodies. It was on fire. What happened?!

Dani was being rolled over. She was now laying on her back. She touched her hand to her head. It felt sticky. She brought her hand in front of her face. Blood. She was bleeding. Jamie’s face was in front of her’s. At first she was blurry, but then her face came into focus as she got closer. Jamie was bleeding, too. Why was Jamie bleeding? What was she saying? Dani felt like she had cotton in her ears. It looked like Jamie was yelling, but Dani couldn’t hear her.

“DANI! GET UP! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!”

Jamie was pulling Dani to her feet. She felt like everything was happening in slow motion. She blinked a few more times, the scene starting to come into view. Everywhere she looked, she saw carnage. She suddenly understood. There had been an explosion. A bomb. Most of the people closer to the stage were gone, either incinerated or barely recognizable as people anymore. The stage itself was gone, leaving only a crater in its place. The row where she had been sitting only moments before? Also gone. She vaguely remembered the doors being locked. She now knew why. Men with guns were now coming through those same doors, shooting the survivors. They had shut them in and now they were picking them off. The popping sounds she heard? That was gunfire. 

Jamie was in her face again, grabbing her by the shoulders, yelling at her to move. Dani felt so disorientated. When her hearing started to come back, she wished that it hadn’t. The screams of the injured and dying were all around her. It was overwhelming. So much pain everywhere.

“Jamie!” She finally managed to get out, her eyes wide as the reality of their situation sunk in.

“Dani! We have to get out of here!”

Jamie threw an arm around Dani’s waist and guided her to the nearest door, drawing her gun as they approached.

“Get behind me!” Jamie yelled, and Dani automatically complied.

The remaining people who could move were rushing the doors trying to exit, the fire and their own desperation pushing them towards the waiting gunmen. Jamie and Dani were caught up in the crowd, Dani gripping Jamie’s waist from behind so she wouldn’t get separated from her. People were falling to the left and right of them as the gunmen indiscriminately shot into the crowd. Jamie aimed her gun and took out the gunmen closest to them with a single headshot. Seeing her, two of the other gunmen rushed towards her, spraying gunfire in their general direction.

Jamie hoisted up the body of the fallen gunmen and used it as shield, further advancing towards the door. Dani heard her scream and realized in horror that Jamie had been shot. But still, Jamie advanced, Dani following behind her. When she got closer to the two attackers, she shoved the body of their fallen comrade towards them, causing them to stumble and forcing them to cease fire while they regained their balance. In that time, Jamie used the gun she took off the other man’s body to shoot them. She slung the gun over her shoulder, grabbed Dani’s hand, and pulled her through the doors. They had escaped the auditorium, but the scene in the lobby was almost as chaotic as the one inside the burning auditorium. Other victims who had managed to make it this far were stumbling around, many being killed by the gunman stationed in this part of the building. Viola must have brought an entire army. And there was Peter Quint. Peter Fucking Quint. Jamie threw Dani behind her again and raised the assault rifle. He locked eyes on her, yelling at her from across the room.

“Taylor! How the fuck did you survive that?! You really must be too stubborn to die,” he scoffed.

“Fuck you, Quint!” Jamie yelled with conviction. Dani found herself impressed that Jamie could muster such confidence given the situation.

Peter turned to his soldiers. “Kill her. Bring the blonde to me.”

Five gunmen advanced on her. Jamie grabbed Dani and pulled her behind a large column, narrowly dodging the gunfire that trailed them.

“I want the American alive, you idiots!” She heard Peter yelling. That was good at least. She could use that to their advantage.

Jamie pinned Dani to the column, facing her. “We’re going to get out of this, Dani. I know it looks bad, but we’re getting out of here. Just do everything I say.”

Dani nodded frantically. Jamie brought the rifle up to her shoulder and leaned around the corner. She fired and her target went down. The others returned fire, hitting the other side of their column and sending plaster spraying in every direction. Dani was trembling. She noticed Jamie’s arm was bleeding through her jacket. That must have been where she was shot. _Not good!_

Jamie took out another gunman in the same manner as the first, but she realized the rifle was out of ammo.

“Shit!” She exclaimed, throwing it to the ground and pulling out two handguns. She looked around frantically for an exit. Quint’s men had all the doors covered. The hallway towards the restrooms was about 50 feet to Jamie’s right. It looked relatively untouched by the explosion, and more importantly, it was unguarded because it was a dead end. But, Jamie knew it wasn’t a dead end. She had noticed a frosted window in the women’s restroom when she was there earlier. That would be their exit strategy. 

“Dani! Look at me!” Dani’s eyes snapped up to meet her’s. “Can you make a run for that hallway?” Dani nodded. “If something happens to me, you keep running. There is a window in the women’s restroom. You can climb out through it. Get back to the hotel and find Owen. Ok?!”

“Jamie…” Dani said, pleading.

“We go NOW!” Jamie said, making a run for it. 

Dani followed her, watching as Jamie fired both of her guns to the side as they ran straight towards the hallway. She was vaguely aware of Peter telling them to stop shooting. That’s right, they weren’t supposed to hit her. They made it to the hallway and she could hear heavy footfall pursing them, the clunking sound of combat boots baring down on them. Jamie holstered one gun and pulled Dani into the restroom, locking the door behind them. Using the gun still in her hand, she shot out the window above the sink. She took her jacket off and threw it over the bottom of the window so they wouldn’t cut themselves climbing out. Dani noticed her wince when her jacket came off her injured arm and she saw with horror the blood trickling down Jamie’s arm.

“We’re going to have to climb out!” She instructed Dani. “Give me your foot!” 

Jamie knelt down and laced her hands together, creating a step for Dani. Dani put her foot in Jamie’s hands without question and let Jamie hoist her up. She grabbed the window frame and her other leg pushed off the sink. She could feel Jamie pushing her the rest of the way out. Dani stumbled into an alley. It was relatively quiet, save for the sirens in the distance. Coming their way, no doubt. She scrambled back to the window and offered her hand to Jamie, who was starting to climb up, her injured arm making it difficult. Dani grabbed her and pulled as hard as she could. Jamie stumbled out into the alley on top of Dani right as the gunmen broke through into the bathroom, bullets landing where Jamie had just stood.

“Thanks Dani,” Jamie managed to say, getting to her feet. “Let’s go!”

They ran down the alley and emerged onto the busy street. The gunmen were climbing out of the bathroom window in pursuit. Jamie knew they needed to make their getaway fast. She saw a man walking towards his motorcycle that was parked on the street and she narrowed her eyes at him. _That will do._ She grabbed Dani’s hand and ran towards him.

“MI5! I need your bike NOW!” She yelled.

The man was appalled. “Crazy bitch!”

SMACK. The man fell to the ground, downed by one Dani Clayton, who delivered an elbow jab to the face. She leaned down over his unconscious body and took his keys out of his hands. She handed them to Jamie, who was staring at her in disbelief, mouth open.

“What?!” Dani said, “I didn’t like his language.”

“Blimey,” Jamie said, impressed. “Remind me to stay on your good side. Now get on.”

Jamie straddled the motorcycle, turning the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life underneath her as Dani climbed on behind her. They were being shot at again! _Shit! These guys just will not let up._

“Hold on tight!” Jamie yelled back to Dani.

Dani wrapped her arms tightly around Jamie’s waist and buried her head in Jamie’s back. Jamie turned the bike around, using her foot to make a 180 and sped in the opposite direction of their pursuers. They had to get back to the hotel. Jamie had to know if Owen was okay. She weaved through traffic at a breakneck speed, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the convention center. Jamie obeyed none of the laws of traffic as she made the trip back to the hotel. She could feel Dani clingy to her tightly from behind. She was just so relieved she got Dani out alive.

As soon as they pulled into the semi-circle in front of the hotel, they were met with a barrage of bullets.

“Shit!” Jamie yelled. She could hear Dani scream behind her. 

Viola had people here, too, waiting for them to return. This was a well-coordinated attack. It wasn’t safe anywhere.

Jamie took a bullet to the shoulder as she drove away, almost knocking her (and Dani) off the bike. But, she held on to the handlebars and pulled herself upright. _Not good, not good, not good._ She was losing blood from two wounds now. Her only hope was that both bullets would stay lodged where they were, slowing down the blood loss. She heard Dani whimper behind her.

“Dani?! Where are you hit?” Jamie just knew she had been hurt.

“My leg.”

“How bad?”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Ok, just hold on!”

“Jamie, your shoulder is bleeding! And your arm!” Dani was yelling in her ear.

“Yeah, I know, Dani! It’s going to be okay though. Nothing major got hit! I got lucky!”

Dani didn’t think that was very lucky. She knew Jamie had to be in pain. She knew she was. Jamie looked in her side mirror. 

“Shit! These guys just keep coming!”

They had two pursuers, also on motorcycles, baring down on them.

“Hold on, Dani! I’m going to lose them!” Jamie yelled, with more confidence than she felt. 

In her mind, Jamie was calculating their route. She was suddenly very thankful she had spent so much time studying maps of Cairo. MI5 had a safe house a few miles away from their current location. Since the hotel was compromised, that was their new destination. But she had to lose these guys first. Jamie sped up, pushing the bike to its limit. Their pursuers also increased their speed. There was a traffic jam up ahead. Jamie drove between the cars, incredibly thankful she had been able to steal a motorcycle instead of a car. Dani continued to hold on silently behind her, allowing her body to move with Jamie’s like it had on their camel ride. Jamie sped up when the traffic cleared. She allowed the first of their pursuers to gain on her. She had an idea. Up ahead was a narrow alley. Without slowing down, Jamie turned at the last second, her foot making contact with the pavement as they made a sharp 90 degree turn. Her pursuer did not have her finesse with a bike. He didn’t cut the corner fast enough and slammed into the side of the building; his bike erupted in flames.

Dani cheered behind her. “One down!” She yelled in Jamie’s ear. Jamie allowed herself a smile. She didn’t usually have an audience for her exploits. And she found that she really liked impressing Dani.

At the end of the alley, Jamie turned in the opposite direction of the safe house. She wanted to lead the last attacker as far away as possible from it. She got on the freeway next. He was still behind her, but not within shooting range. On the freeway though, he gained on her, his bike having the better acceleration. Dani’s grip on Jamie tightened, her hair whipping around in the high speeds. Jamie wished she had a helmet or protective eye wear. The wind was making her eyes hurt. Dani must have felt the same because she could feel her burying her head behind her, Jamie’s body shielding her from the worst of it. _Just keep holding on, Dani. I’ve got you._

As their pursuer gained on them, he opened fire. The other cars on the freeway started pulling off the road, desperately trying to get away from the gunfire. Jamie was very aware of the fact the Dani was currently in the most vulnerable position behind her, and that was simply unacceptable. Jamie braked and yanked the bike to the left, sending them sideways as she drew her gun and fired at the oncoming bike. She aimed and sent two shots in the direction of the gas tank. The bike exploded in a ball of fire. Jamie revved their bike, crossed the median, and sped off in the opposite direction. Having dispatched with both of their attackers, she was free to head to the safe house. She reached into her pocket and tossed her cell phone away. She couldn’t afford to have anyone trace them. Sensing she should do that same, Dani also threw her phone. The cars behind them on the freeway ran over both phones, rendering them untraceable.

Once Jamie exited the freeway, she and Dani were able to hear each other again.

“Jamie, where are we going? The hospital?”

“No, we’re not going to the hospital. That’s the first place they’ll look for us. We’re going to an MI5 safe house. It will be fully stocked. I’ll patch us up there.”

“Ok,” Dani said, silently worrying the rest of the ride there.

Ten minutes later, Jamie stopped in front of a row of townhouse-style dwellings in a run-down part of town. Nothing about this looked like a safe house to Dani, but she trusted Jamie. Jamie parked the bike in the back alley behind a dumpster. Jamie got off the bike and helped Dani, not sure how badly her leg was injured.

“Can you put weight on it?” Jamie asked, holding her by the elbows.

Dani tested it. “Yeah, I think so.”

She limped behind Jamie as Jamie as she headed for the back door. There was a small mailbox to the right of the door, which Jamie removed, exposing a screen. Jamie placed her hand on the screen and it scanned her prints. The door clicked open.

“Cool,” Dani whispered, following her inside.

Jamie began turning the lights on and conducting a sweep of the two story house. It was clear. She went to the kitchen and pulled out an impressive stash of medical supplies, which she brought into the living room where Dani was sitting on the couch. Dani could tell that Jamie was going to offer to fix her first. One look at Jamie in the light though and Dani could see how pale and clammy she was. She had lost a lot of blood during their escape. 

“I think mine was just a graze. We take care of you first,” Dani said. Dani knew Jamie was in bad shape when she didn’t argue.

Jamie opened the med kit and started pulling out the supplies she would need— towels, alcohol, sutures, bandages, everything. Dani realized that Jamie intended to patch herself up, and she wasn’t sure how that would even be possible in her current state. She looked like she might pass out at any minute. Dani reached over and stilled Jamie’s hands.

“Let me do it. You just walk me through it, ok?”

“You sure, Poppins? This is gonna get nasty.”

“I can handle it. Which one is worse? Where do we start?”

“My shoulder. Dani, you’re going to have to take the bullet out. It’s still in there. If it weren’t, you’d have been hit, too.”

Dani shuddered thinking about Jamie stopping a literal bullet for her. She grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the kit. She knew she would have to clean the area after she removed the bullet.

“Take your shirt off,” Dani instructed her.

“Blimey,” Jamie joked. “Didn’t take you for the bossy type.”

“I can’t believe you’re making a joke right now,” Dani said, as she helped Jamie pull her shirt over her head.

“Well, this is not how I saw this going the first time,” Jamie admitted.

“Oh? So, you _have_ thought about this?” Dani said, quirking her eyebrow. 

Dani was cleaning the area around the bullet the best she could so she could see what she was doing, but as soon as she wiped the blood away, more would seep out.

“Dani, make sure you have some towels handy. It’s going to be worse when you pull the bullet out.”

Dani moved the towels from the table and into her lap.

“Ok, here goes,” she said, using her thumb and index figure to dig into Jamie’s shoulder. Jamie screamed in agony, but Dani knew she had to keep going. “Just so you know, this is _not_ how I pictured me putting my fingers in you for the first time, Jamie!”

“What?!”

Dani’s fingers closed around the bullet and used that moment of distraction to pull it out, quickly pressing the towels into Jamie’s shoulder.

“That was cheeky, Poppins, and you know it,” Jamie said weakly, a sheen of sweat and tears on her face.

“It worked though, didn’t it?” Dani said, pleased with herself.

Dani removed the towels to pour alcohol on the open wound, eliciting another scream from Jamie before she passed out. Dani was almost relieved she passed out. Hurting Jamie was killing her, even though she knew she was helping. With Jamie out, Dani stitched up the wound and bandaged it. She repeatedly the process with the bullet wound in Jamie’s upper arm. Jamie woke up screaming when Dani pulled that bullet out and then promptly passed out again. Dani’s heart ached. This was all so fucked up. She stitched up that wound, as well, and bandaged it. She ran her hand gingerly down Jamie’s arm. _These same arms held me last night as we danced._ _That seems like a lifetime ago. Now look at us._ _Don’t think about it. Just fix Jamie. You can freak out later. Just fix Jamie. She needs you._ Dani quickly wrapped the wound on her own leg, not doing anything with it other than trying to stop the bleeding. She would come back to it once she had thoroughly tended to Jamie. She went to the kitchen and gathered some wet towels. She needed to clean the blood off Jamie. She couldn’t stand to see her like this. She sat back down next to her and sighed. _My sweet, brave Jamie._ She gently wiped the blood off her arm, shoulder, and chest. She then took a blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Jamie. She didn’t want her to be cold, and she also wanted to preserve her modesty as much as possible. Then she started on Jamie’s face. The cool towel on her face caused Jamie to wake up.

“Hey you,” Dani said softly.

“Did I pass out?”

“Yeah, twice, actually.”

“Fuck. I’m so sorry I left you like that, Dani.”

“Did you just seriously apologize to me for passing out while I was removing a bullet from you?”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Jamie said sheepishly. “Just want you to think I’m tough is all.”

“I think you’re plenty tough,” Dani replied, continuing to gently clean Jamie’s face while they talked.

Jamie glanced down and noticed that Dani had put a blanket over her. She smiled at the kind gesture. Jamie lifted it up to inspect Dani’s work.

“You did good, Dani. I’m so sorry. I was supposed to talk you through it. How did you do this?”

“I’ve watched a lot of _Grey’s Anatomy.”_

“Must have been very educational,” Jamie replied dryly.

“Here, take these,” Dani instructed. She had some pills and a glass of water waiting for Jamie. “Antibiotics and painkillers,” she explained.

Jamie nodded and took them. “Thanks. And uh, I can clean myself up the rest of the way. You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” Dani said. “You saved my life… again. Let me take care of you.”

“Only if you let me return the favor.”

Dani just smiled and continued cleaning Jamie’s face and neck. Both of their faces were covered in cuts from the explosion. Jamie didn’t think anyone had ever been so gentle with her. Dani touched her like she was something precious, like she was something to be treasured. She wanted to savor the feeling of Dani’s cool fingers on her face forever; they were also a soothing balm to her heart.

“All done,” Dani said, “although, I think your shirt may be a lost cause.” She held it up to show Jamie.

“Yeah, no, I’m not putting that back on. There should be clothes in all different sizes in the bedroom. They keep these houses stocked with anything agents may need.”

“I’ll go grab you something,” Dani said.

Jamie noticed her limping as she walked away, and she wanted to cry at the sight. _Dani was hurt. Someone hurt Dani. They will pay for it._ _They will all pay._ Dani came back a few minutes later with a clean t-shirt for Jamie, which she quickly put on with a little help from Dani. Jamie was at least thankful that both of her wounds were on the left side, leaving her right arm— her dominate shooting hand— untouched. 

“Dani, let me have a look at your leg,” Jamie said, patting her own leg to show Dani that she wanted her to swing her leg up on her lap. “I’m going to have to cut your jeans to take a look. Ok?”

Dani nodded and Jamie got to work. She sucked in a breath when she saw the wound. It was a graze, but it had also torn through Dani’s calf. “This is a nasty gash, Dani. I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.”

“Just do what you need to do,” Dani said bravely.

When Jamie poured alcohol in the wound, Dani screamed and fought back tears.

“I’m so sorry, Dani,” Jamie said. It was the most desperate Dani had ever heard her.

After that part, the stitching that Jamie was currently doing wasn’t as bad. Jamie’s hands were quick and skilled. Dani could tell that Jamie had done this many times.

“Jamie? What the hell happened today?”

Jamie’s eyes came up briefly to meet Dani’s before she turned back to her work on Dani’s leg.

“I’m still trying to sort that out myself.”

“What happened after you went backstage? When I heard shots, I was so scared you were hurt.”

“Well, turns out I was actually the one doing the shooting. Sorry to have worried you,” Jamie said, stealing a glance a Dani, her face etched in worry.

“Maybe you should start at the beginning,” Dani suggested.

Jamie filled Dani in on everything that that happened in those few moments they were apart. She had finished bandaging Dani’s leg and had moved on her her face. Dani found it easier to hear about how Jamie was face to face with a bomb when Jamie was currently inches away from her own face, her gentle fingers soothing her as she spoke.

“I was so scared when I couldn’t find you,” Jamie said, wrapping up her story.

“I was scared, too. Terrified, actually.”

“I know. I could see it on your face. I did everything I could to get back to you as quickly as I could,” Jamie told her.

“And you did,” Dani said, bringing her hand to Jamie’s face. “Jamie, if you hadn’t had a feeling something was wrong and found that bomb, we’d both be dead. Or if you hadn’t knocked me to the ground when you did, we’d be dead. You knew we only had a chance if we got on the ground as far away as possible.” Jamie nodded. “You saved my life. Again.”

Jamie gave a small smile. “I couldn’t save everyone though, could I?”

“No,” Dani said quietly, looking down, beginning to cry. “Jamie… all those people…”

“I know, Dani, I know. Come here.” Jamie put her good arm around Dani and pulled her close, knowing Dani needed the comfort. Dani reflexively curled into Jamie, clutching at the front of her shirt.

“They’re all dead, aren’t they?” Dani asked through her tears.

“A lot of them, probably,” Jamie answered honestly. “Some would have gotten away though.”

“Why? Why did they do this? I thought they were just after Henry. I don’t understand any of this!” Dani said, the words tumbling out. Jamie held her tighter.

“I don’t know, Dani. Terrorists create chaos. It’s what they do. They instill fear. It’s a deterrent to others who might think about challenging them, a warning if you will. But a bomb? Nothing in our intel suggested a bomb. And we weren’t the only agency that missed it. The CIA was there. Interpol. Mossad. We were all there today, Dani. I guess we underestimated what Viola is capable of. Her rage seems to know no bounds.”

“Do you know if Henry made it? Or Owen? Oh God, Jamie, Owen!”

Owen had been on Jamie’s mind the whole time. “I don’t know. I’m going to check in with MI5 though. See what I can find out.”

“And the children! Jamie! Thank God we sent them back to the hotel!” Dani said, realization dawning on how much worse things could have been.

“Aye, I’ve been thinking the same. What I don’t know though is what happened at the hotel. Dani, I don’t know if they’re still okay,” Jamie said, knowing she had to be transparent with Dani.

Dani’s tears turned to sobs and she curled further into Jamie’s chest. Jamie’s rubbed Dani’s arm, trying to calm her.

“Dani, we can’t stay here long,” Jamie said gently. “I need to get in touch with my agency. All the equipment is here for me to contact them. And then we have to go.”

“I thought this was a safe house?”

“It is. But, if I know about it, so does Rebecca.”

“And you never found her today?”

“No. She’s unaccounted for. And that makes me uneasy. I don’t know what she’s capable of, Dani, and that scares me.”

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you two? Because now seems like a pretty good time.”

Jamie reluctantly removed her arm from around Dani and stood up. “I’ll tell you while I’m getting the computer set up.”

Dani watched Jamie as she removed a picture from the wall, exposing a safe behind it with an ocular scan. Jamie looked into it while it scanned her eye. The safe opened, revealing an array of computer equipment. Jamie grabbed a laptop and returned to the couch with Dani, booting up the computer.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I mean, it’s all gone to shite anyway. Peter Quint was a member of our team.”

“Oh my god, Jamie, are you serious?” Dani gasped.

“Yeah, Peter Fucking Quint. We trained together. Went on missions together. Saved each other’s lives a few times. He’s always been an asshole, mind you, and we never much cared for each other on account of his assholery, but still, we were teammates. And none of us saw the betrayal coming. Being betrayed like that, it does something to you.”

Dani’s heart went out to Jamie. With every new piece of information she learned about Jamie, she understood her a little bit better. Understood why she was hesitant to open herself up to anyone.

“But that wasn’t the worst of it,” Jamie continued. “The worst of it was for Rebecca. She won’t admit it, but she and Peter were in love. This is exactly why this sort of thing is forbidden.”

And another piece of the puzzle fell into place for Dani. _No wonder she is so closed off. She saw what happened to Rebecca. She doesn’t want to get hurt in the same way. I get it now. But I’m not Peter. I would never hurt her. I hope she knows that._

Jamie continued, “I called Rebecca out on it. As you can imagine, she didn’t too much appreciate that. Things haven’t been the same since. So, you see, when she became suspicious of you and me, it made me a hypocrite in her eyes.”

“And she’s still in love with Peter,” Dani concluded.

“That would be my theory, yes,” Jamie agreed.

“And that’s why you think she’s the mole.”

“And that’s why I think she’s the mole,” Jamie confirmed. “It all points to her.”

“So, you were betrayed again,” Dani said sympathetically. “Jamie, I’m so sorry.”

“It is what it is,” Jamie said, trying to brush it off. “Occupational hazard, I suppose.”

Dani wanted to respond, but the computer had long since booted up and Jamie had just finished entering her credentials. She was opening a secure video channel to Hannah, who immediately answered.

“Jamie!” She said, clearly pleased and surprised to see the young agent. “Where are you? Are you okay? We thought you were dead. We are getting reports in about what happened, but the details are shaky.”

“I was nearly dead, yes, but seems I’m not just yet. Just got blown up and shot a few times is all. I’m at our safe house in Cairo. Dani Clayton’s here with me.”

Dani leaned into the frame next to Jamie and waved at Hannah.

“Hello, Ms. Clayton,” Hannah said, “I’m very relieved to see you both.”

“What’s the word from Owen? We don’t know anything, Hannah. We lost track of everyone in the explosion,” Jamie said.

“Owen and Henry made it out just in time. They checked in not ten minutes ago. Seems they’ve had a bit of a rough evening, as well.”

Jamie exhaled, visibility relieved that her friend was safe. Dani placed a reassuring hand on her lower back, out of frame so Hannah wouldn’t see. She needed Jamie to feel her support. 

“And the kids? The hotel was compromised,” Jamie stated.

“Agent Todd and his team got them out. They apparently had to rappel off the balcony when their room was attacked. Miles Wingrave thinks it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened, apparently.”

Dani looked stricken but Jamie just snickered.

“‘Course he does. You best put Todd up for a promotion,” Jamie said. “Poor fella.”

“He might not be the only one earning a promotion from this mission,” Hannah said knowingly, making Jamie uncomfortable. _Would you say that if you knew I fell for my assignment and broke every rule in the book?_

_“_ And Jessel?”

“MIA. She was spotted on security cameras leaving the convention center fifteen minutes before the bomb went off. I’m afraid your suspicions about her were accurate.”

“I wanted to be wrong, you know,” Jamie said quietly. “And the casualties?”

“Catastrophic. It may be weeks before we know the full extent. I don’t know how you two made it out alive, honestly.”

Jamie felt Dani move her hand from her back to her thigh and give it a gentle squeeze. It was amazing to Jamie how Dani could convey so much in a touch, how she instinctively knew what Jamie needed. She covered Dani’s hand with her own and squeezed back.

“What’s our extraction plan, Hannah?” Jamie asked. “We have to get out of Egypt. Tonight.”

“We already have a plane on the way. It should be there in two hours. Rendezvous at the airport.”

There was one more thing Jamie needed to bring up with Hannah. She didn’t want to say it in front of Dani, but she also didn’t have a choice.

“Director? There’s one more thing. Any idea why Quint is still after Dani?” This had been bothering Jamie.

“How do you mean?”

“When we were escaping, he still wanted to capture her. If he finds out that Henry is alive, it means there is still a target on her back.”

Dani squeezed Jamie’s thigh. She was afraid.

“You may be right, Taylor,” Hannah said. “If they are desperate enough, they may still try to take her, use her as leverage with Wingrave.”

“I’m just the au pair,” Dani interjected. “I mean, Mr. Wingrave thinks I’m a good employee, but I’m hardly worth an international incident! I have no value to him, really.”

“That may be,” Hannah conceded, “But they don’t know that, and desperate people do desperate things. MI5 embarrassed Viola’s organization this week. They may look for a win anywhere they can get one. You aren’t safe until you are back here. Agent Taylor, stay vigilant and come home.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jamie said seriously.

Jamie ended the video call and looked over at Dani, reading the panic in her eyes.

“Hey, it’s gonna be ok,” Jamie said, pulling her into a hug, placing one hand gently on the back of her head and pulling her into her good shoulder. “I’ve got you. The worst is behind us, yeah?” She could feel Dani nod her head. 

They pulled away and looked at each other, Dani wiping a few tears from her eyes. Jamie said, “I know, it’s a lot. And there will be time for us to process it all. But, right now, let’s get ready to leave. I want to pack a few things and we should both probably change. We look a bit conspicuous with blood all over our clothes.”

They both went in the bedroom and rifled through their clothing options. Jamie selected a pair of black skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black zip-up hoodie. She found a pair of black combat boots in her size and added those to her ensemble.

“Let me guess… pink is your favorite color?” Dani said, teasing her.

“Shut up, Poppins. I’m trying to be all cool and stealth.”

“Well, that look definitely works for you,” Dani replied. She selected a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and a purple T-shirt. Jamie suggested she add a layer since the Egyptian nights could be cold, so she threw a gray hoodie on over her shirt. She put her hair in a ponytail.

Neither even particularly noticed that they had changed in the room together. It felt like the most natural thing in the world and neither wanted to be apart from the other for even one second. Jamie packed a few medical supplies in a backpack— pain killers, antibiotics, and bandages for both of them. She figured they would need all of it, even if they were flying straight home. She always like to be prepared. They went back out to the living room, preparing to leave.

Jamie gently took Dani by the wrist and stopped her. Dani had a questioning look in her eyes.

“Hey, Dani,” Jamie started, clearly nervous. “Before we go, and uh, rejoin the group, and uh, don’t get to be alone again much, there’s just something I want to say.”

Dani’s eyes widened in anticipation.

“You see, almost losing you today. It made me realize something. I’ve got a problem, Poppins.”

“Oh no,” Dani said, afraid of what Jamie would say next, afraid that she would pull away because things had gotten dangerous just like she feared they would.

“You see, Dani, I thought I couldn’t live _with_ you. That it would be selfish to even want to. But now, I’m thinking that maybe I can’t live _without_ you. I guess what I’m trying to say, and not saying very eloquently, is I’m actually pretty in love with you, it turns out. And, when I thought we were going to die today, my one regret was not kissing you when I had the chance.”

Dani looked into Jamie’s eyes. She looked so vulnerable, afraid that Dani would reject her, even though Dani had given every indication that she wanted a life with Jamie. Dani broke out into the biggest grin and took a step towards Jamie.

“I love you, too,” she said, without hesitation. And she truly meant it. She was deeply in love with this woman.

Jamie smiled the biggest and brightest smile of her life. _She loves me, too._ _So this is what joy feels like._ She closed the gap between them, taking Dani’s face in her hands. Dani closed her eyes in anticipation. 

And then the window behind them shattered. They were both struck by something at the same time and stumbled back onto the couch, Dani’s body slumping against Jamie’s. Jamie brought her hand to her neck. There was something there… a dart? _What the hell?_ And the next thing Jamie saw was Peter Quint looming over her, Rebecca Jessel standing behind him. And then she blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And cue the yelling at me in the comments in 3...2...1...
> 
> ;)


	10. The Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m overwhelmed by all the wonderful comments on the last chapter. I wish I could give each and every one of you a hug. Instead, please accept my socially distanced gratitude. You all are such an encouragement to me and your enthusiasm motivates me to keep writing.

Jamie came to with a slap to the face.

“Don’t you touch her, you son of a bitch!” Dani was screaming.

Jamie opened her eyes and looked up at Peter Quint. She tried to lunge at him… but… she couldn’t move. She began to panic. She tried to look around, but all she could move were her eyes. She was still in the safe house. She was slumped against the couch and vaguely aware of Dani’s body leaning against her side.

“Dani?” She said tentatively.

“I’m here,” came the response next to her. “I can’t move,” she said in a small voice.

“What the fuck, Peter?! What did you do to us?” Jamie yelled.

“Ah, Agent Taylor, you see, we hit you with paralytic darts,” Peter responded smugly, holding up the two darts he had plucked out of their necks. “Nasty little buggers, these guys. Full body paralysis in seconds. The effects will last for hours, I’m afraid.”

Jamie tried to struggle but it was to no avail. She was scared. And she was pissed.

“Tsk, tsk, no use struggling,” Peter scolded her.

“Why are you doing this?” Jamie asked. Then, noticing Peter’s accomplice, “Rebecca?”

“I’m sorry, Jamie,” Rebecca said. “We’re here for Dani. And we’ll be on our way.”

“Then why go to all this trouble? This is dramatic, even for you, Quint.” Jamie questioned.

“Because, Jamie darling, quite honestly, you are a pain in my ass. You have been making my job _very_ difficult this week. This was the only way to get your precious little American away from you without you murdering another 50 of my men. You have been very… _irritating._ And, Rebecca wouldn’t let me shoot you,” he added.

“And you’re still here because?” Jamie asked. 

“Because I wanted you to know it was me,” he explained, leaning down directly in her face. “That I finally outsmarted you.”

“Fuck you.” Then Jamie cut her eyes towards Rebecca. “And you, you’re a traitor! Just tell me why.”

“I think now you might finally understand that sometimes we do things that seem crazy for the people we love,” Rebecca answered calmly. “If I helped with this mission, Viola promised I could join her organization. Jamie, I can _be_ with Peter again. And that’s all I want. But I had to prove my loyalty first. I know you won’t believe me, but I _am_ sorry you got caught up in this.”

“And the bomb? That was you, wasn’t, it?” Jamie asked, furious.

Rebecca only nodded.

“You know what, Rebecca? Fuck you, too!” Jamie yelled. She felt betrayed, hurt, angry, scared, all of it.

Peter suddenly pulled a gun at Jamie and pointed it right between her eyes. “That’s enough out of you!”

“Nooooo!” Dani screamed. “Please just take me with you! But leave her alone! Please! Henry… he’ll do anything to get me back. I’m the one you want. Not her. Not her,” Dani said through her tears. She would have said anything to save Jamie in that moment.

_No, Dani!_ Jamie knew Dani was lying. Henry wouldn’t save her. They were going to take Dani. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Jamie looked up defiantly at Peter. She would not give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Rebecca brought her hand up to his arm, forcing him to lower it.

“She’s not worth it. Let’s just take Dani and go. That’s the mission,” Rebecca reminded him.

Peter shifted over to Dani, roughly grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look at him.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Jamie screamed, rage building inside of her that anyone would dare touch Dani. _Her_ Dani.

“Well, well, well, seems you were right, Bec. Interesting. The heartless Jamie Taylor finally feels something.”

“What I _feel_ is fuckin’ angry! I’m gonna end you, Quint! No bullshit,” Jamie yelled.

“You’ll do no such thing, Jamie darling, and we both know it. What you’ll do is sit right there while I take your little girlfriend away. By the time you can move again, this will all be over.”

Rebecca chimed in. “Look, Jamie, just stay here. Stay out of it. Once Henry meets Viola’s demands, Dani will be released. She’ll be fine. For once in your life, just do nothing.”

Jamie wanted to believe that, but she knew it was a lie. Henry would not meet Viola’s demands. For the kids? Maybe. For Dani? No. But, if they knew that, they would kill them both right now. As much as Jamie was loathe to admit it, her only chance of saving Dani was in letting her go. This was not a fight she could win right now. She nodded in acknowledgment to Rebecca. She had no other choice. If she kept antagonizing them, they would kill her. And she couldn’t save Dani if she was dead. She hoped Dani knew that she would do everything in her power to get her back, that she was just playing along right now. She could feel the fear radiating off Dani next to her, knowing they were about to be ripped apart. _Stay strong, Dani._

Peter then unceremoniously picked Dani up and threw her over his shoulder like a rag doll.

“Time to go,” he said.

“Jamieeeee!” Dani screamed desperately, as she was carried away.

“Dani! You’re gonna be okay!” Jamie yelled back. She hoped it was true. _I WILL find you._

And then they were gone, leaving Jamie alone with her thoughts and unable to move. It was quiet and the silence felt like it might crush her. For the first time in a week, there was no Dani, and it was unbearable. Jamie silently cried. It was all she could do. She wondered how long it would take for them to contact Henry and how much longer it would take for him to reject whatever offer they made. Dani would only be alive as long as they thought she was useful. The minute they realized she wasn’t, she would be dead. Jamie tried to calculate how long before the toxin wore off. She tried to will her fingers to move, but they didn’t obey. 

_This is hell. I can’t imagine anything worse than this. And what a fool I have been. Thinking that I had time to figure out my feelings for Dani, time to figure out my feelings about my job. I never had the luxury of time. If I had known that, oh, I would have done things differently. I never even got to kiss her. What if she dies before I can kiss her? No, she can’t die. At least she knows how I feel. And she said that she loved me back. She really did. I hope she meant it, really meant it. What if it was just an emotional response to everything that happened today? No, I can’t think like that. She as much as told me how she felt yesterday. I was just too scared to admit anything. It’s all just happening so fast. I can’t keep up. All I know is I can’t lose her. Oh God, did I find love only to lose it? What was even the point? No, don’t think like that, Jamie. You can still get her back. You can still save her. And when you do, you will kiss her and tell her you love her and never let her go. And you will kill Peter Quint. Maybe Rebecca too. You will kill anyone who harms her. You will make her safe again, even if it’s the last thing you do._

Jamie spent the next agonizing hour trying not to picture how scared Dani was and trying not to picture what they were doing to her. If they harmed her, no place on earth would be safe for them. Jamie also tried not to think about Rebecca, but she couldn’t help it. The betrayal stung. She saw it coming, but it still hurt. She resented that Rebecca tried to make a comparison between their relationships, as if somehow that would make Jamie understand or that she would absolve Rebecca of her wrongdoing. If Peter really loved Rebecca, he wouldn’t be asking her to do these things. That wasn’t love. Dani was different. Dani would never. Dani made Jamie want to be a better person, more open and kind. Dani was hope and joy and laughter and warmth and everything good. No, she was nothing like Peter. Rebecca was blinded by love, but the saddest part of it to Jamie was that it wasn’t actually love; it was ownership. If she wasn’t so furious, she might actually feel pity for them.

Jamie had never felt so helpless in all her life. After 45 minutes, she could finally wiggle her fingers and toes. Fifteen minutes after that, she was able to very clumsily open the laptop on the coffee table. It was like her limbs couldn’t respond. They felt so heavy. But she was making progress. She couldn’t afford to waste any time. She wasn’t sure how much of it Dani had left.

Jamie opened up a video call to Hannah.

“Jamie! There you are!”

“Hannah… they’ve got Dani.”

“I know. They contacted Mr. Wingrave a half hour ago with their demands.”

Jamie’s heart felt like it might pound out of her chest, fear shooting through her body. She knew things had been put into motion while she had been rendered helpless, but hearing confirmation of the events that were unfolding sent a wave of fresh terror through her.

“And has he responded yet?” She asked urgently.

Hannah was silent. 

“Hannah?! Has he responded yet?!” Jamie said louder, scared of the answer.

Hannah sighed. “Not yet. But he is about to call them.”

“And say what exactly, Hannah?” Jamie asked, already knowing the answer.

“That he won’t meet any of their demands,” Hannah responded.

“Hannah, listen to me, you have _got_ to delay him making that call!”

Hannah shook her head. “Agent Taylor, I need you to be on that plane in 30 minutes.”

“What?!”

“You have new orders. Return home on that plane. Right now. Dani Clayton is no longer your mission. I’m sorry. I know you don’t like for a mission to fail. But, these orders come from higher up.”

“What do you mean I’m off the mission?!” Jamie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had been expecting the full support of MI5 to rescue Dani, but instead, she was facing what felt like yet another betrayal. “We can’t just leave her! They’ll kill her!”

“I know, Agent Taylor, and I’m sorry about that. I really am. She doesn’t deserve any of this. But Wingrave has decided she’s not a priority, so she is no longer our concern. She’s American. The CIA will take over from here.”

“The CIA?! What? Just to retrieve her body?”

Hannah was silent. Jamie was right. The CIA would not rescue her; they would merely retrieve what was left of her.

“No,” Jamie said firmly.

“Agent, I am giving you a direct order. Abort the mission and come home. Those are your orders,” Hannah said, beginning to feel concerned. Jamie Taylor was her best agent. What was happening?

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Director. Not an option,” Jamie said decisively.

“ _Jamie,_ what you’re talking about here is a suicide mission. We can’t help you, and you can’t save her on your own. I appreciate your dedication, but respectfully, she’s not worth it. The agency sees you as one of our most valuable assets. This is not worth the risk of losing you.”

“It’s worth it to me, Hannah. I won’t leave her. I _will_ save her. And shame on all of you for abandoning her, especially Wingrave, who put her in this position in the first place. With all due respect, ma’am, I’m staying.”

“Jamie, that plane can’t wait for you. They will be sitting ducks.”

“I agree. And I don’t expect them to wait. Tell them to take off as soon as they can. I won’t be going with them.”

“Jamie,” Hannah said firmly. “Let me be _very_ clear with you. If you do this, you are in direct violation of orders. You will be labeled a rogue agent on an unsanctioned mission in a foreign country. If you are caught, we cannot and will not help you. We will disavow all knowledge of you. You will be completely on your own. Is that really want you want? You need to think this through.”

The words were like a sucker punch to Jamie. After everything she had done for MI5, they couldn’t do this one thing for her? Her career was all she had ever had, and she was about to throw it away. For Dani. And she found that she had no hesitation about that. She would willingly risk it all just for the slightest chance of saving Dani. Or she would die trying. She was on the verge of losing everything, but she understood the risk. It was her life and her risk to take.

“I understand, Director. And, for the record, I won’t get caught. I _will_ bring her home,” Jamie said with more confidence than she felt.

“Jamie,” Hannah said, pleadingly, “As someone who cares about you, I’m begging you, please don’t do this.”

“I appreciate that, Hannah, but I’ve made my position clear. My mind won’t be changed.”

“What is she to you? Why is this so important?” Hannah asked sincerely.

“I’ll answer that question when I see you again,” Jamie answered. “In the meantime, can you at least provide me with the location where they are holding her? I’m assuming you traced the call?”

“Jamie…”

“Hannah, I’m asking you to do this one thing for me. Just tell me where she is. Please.”

Hannah nodded. “They are holed up in an abandoned fireworks warehouse on the outskirts of town. I’m sending you the coordinates now. But you didn’t get this from me.”

Jamie saw the information pop on her screen and gave a slight nod to acknowledge that she’d received it.

“Thank you. We’ll need passports, too, to get out of the country. We can’t go back to the hotel for our’s.”

“Jamie, you are pushing it…” Hannah cautioned, but Jamie already knew she would do it so she just stared at her until Hannah relented. “Fine. But only because I want you back and you seem dead set on doing this with or without my help. We have a contact in Cairo who can get you the passports. I’ll send your photos to him, but it’s not going to happen overnight. Sending you his address now.”

“Got it,” Jamie said. “Thank you, Hannah. I won’t forget this.”

“I wish I could do more, I really do.”

“You could delay Henry from making that call. Buy me all the time you can,” Jamie said desperately.

Hannah nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you. I appreciate what you’ve done for me, not just today, but over the years. And look, if I don’t come back, tell Owen I’m sorry, okay? Tell him he was like a brother to me.”

“Tell him yourself when you get back.”

Jamie managed a weak smile. “Right. Goodbye, Hannah.”

“Goodbye, Jamie,” Hannah said sadly. “Good luck.”

Jamie ended the call and took a moment to compose herself. _This is so not how I saw today going. I’ve lost Dani. I’m apparently a rogue agent. I may not even have a job to go back to now. I have no back up. I’m stuck in a foreign country and have no way to get out. I’m injured. The odds are against me. But I’ll bet on Dani any day._

Jamie realized at least she was sitting on a stockpile of resources in the safe house— guns, ammunition, explosives, cash, everything she would need. All hope was definitely not lost. Plus, feeling was starting to come back into her limbs. _I can do this. I can do this._ She got up and rolled back the area rug in the living room floor, exposing a trap door. She opened it and climbed down the ladder, flipping on the switch when she got to the bottom and illuminating the room in fluorescent light. Jamie glanced around the room and smiled at her myriad of options. _Oh yes, this will do, this will do nicely._ It was time to get creative, very creative. It was time for Jamie Taylor to do what she does best.

_I will rescue you, and I will make them believe one woman is a hundred. Hold on, Dani, I’m coming for you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11- The Rescue will be coming after Christmas. I think it will be worth the wait. :)
> 
> Happy Holidays, everyone!


	11. The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is... the chapter you’ve all been waiting for! I hope you like it!

Dani wasn’t sure how long she had been left alone. Well, she wasn’t entirely alone. There were two guards at the door, but Peter and Rebecca had been gone since they brought her here. Not that she knew where _here_ was. She spent the car ride blindfolded and in the trunk. They didn’t remove the blindfold until they brought her to this room and tied her to this chair. By the looks of things, it was some type of warehouse. They came up an elevator when they arrived, maybe five floors up by Dani’s estimation. There were windows on one side of the room, but they were too dirty for Dani to see anything useful. 

Peter and Rebecca said very little when they brought her in. Rebecca could hardly meet Dani’s eyes while she was tying her up. Dani didn’t plead with them. She knew it was no use. And she was too busy worrying about Jamie. She was worried Jamie would do something reckless to save her. She knew that Jamie knew Henry would reject whatever offer was currently being made. It was only a matter of time. And Dani didn’t want Jamie risking her life for her… not again. Jamie had already done so much for her, and Dani knew how badly she was hurt. No matter how much she might want to, Jamie would not be able to save her this time. Dani knew her fate was sealed, but she didn’t want to drag Jamie down with her. _Let me go, Jamie. Don’t come after me. Don’t do anything stupid. Just go back to London. Please. I can’t be responsible for your death. I can’t. I’m not worth it. I’m not worth your life._

The waiting was excruciating to Dani, her thoughts plagued with all the terrible things that could happen to Jamie. She had no doubt Jamie would come for her. She had just told Dani that she was in love with her. Those words were music to Dani’s ears. Dani knew that Jamie had probably only said it because she was scared she wouldn’t get another chance, but Dani also didn’t really care. Jamie wouldn’t have said it all if she hadn’t meant it. Their brush with death had given Jamie the push she needed, and Dani couldn’t help but see that as a silver lining. But not if loving her risked Jamie’s life. Her brave, courageous Jamie. Dani wondered how she was doing, but she also already knew. She knew that Jamie would be blaming herself for Dani being taken, would be worried sick about her, and planning her rescue. As feeling started to come back to Dani’s limbs, she wished it wouldn’t. It meant that the effects of the toxin would also be wearing off on Jamie. And as soon as Jamie could move, Dani knew she would mount her rescue attempt. She knew Jamie would push her body to the limit. As much faith as Dani had in Jamie’s abilities, she didn’t know how Jamie could have any hope of success. The warehouse was crawling with soldiers. Dani didn’t know how many, but she was realistic enough to to know the odds of both of them making it out alive were slim.

Dani’s thoughts drifted again to her time with Jamie this week. She tried to play it all back in her head, savoring each moment. If this was to be her last week on earth, at least it was spent in the company of the person she now loved most. Dani only wished she could have known what it was like to kiss Jamie. They had been interrupted so cruelly. Dani imagined what Jamie’s lips would have felt like brushing against her’s for the first time. Would the kiss have been tender? Fierce? Slow? Needy? She would never know now. She closed her eyes and remembered how it felt for Jamie to touch her, how safe she felt. That was what she would picture when Peter killed her. Her last thoughts would be of feeling safe in Jamie’s arms.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Dani opened her eyes, bracing herself. What this it already? She wasn’t expecting to see a woman enter the room. Objectively, the woman was beautiful. Peter and Rebecca followed behind her. She walked straight to Dani and leaned down to her face.

“You must be Dani Clayton,” she began. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Viola Willoughby.”

_Viola._ Just hearing the name sent a chill down her spine. Dani was face to face with one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. _How did I end up here?!_

Viola continued, “You’ve proven quite difficult to catch this week. But here you are now. I _always_ get what I want, Dani Clayton. We’re about to see how valuable you really are. You see, I’m waiting to hear back from your boss. Waiting to see if he’ll step down from Parliament and get out of our way. It’s a simple request really. His job for your life.”

Dani swallowed hard. She knew Henry wouldn’t do that. She wondered if Viola knew it, too.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Viola asked, annoyed that Dani had not yet spoken, had not yet begged for mercy.

“Go to hell,” Dani said.

Viola slapped her so hard and so fast that it was over before Dani knew it was going to happen, her head hanging to the side, her face already turning red from the impact. She brought her head back up to look at Viola defiantly.

“Well, well, well,” Viola said, “I think I can see why Agent Taylor likes you. So much spunk. So much fire. It will do you no good here though, I’m afraid.”

Dani only continued to stare at Viola, never breaking eye contact.

“You know, Dani,” Viola stated, “Part of me hopes that Wingrave rejects my offer. Rebecca here tells me that you are special to Jamie Taylor, and her actions this week certainly seem to support that. She made you practically untouchable. You see, I’ve known Jamie Taylor a long time. She and I have enjoyed quite the game of cat and mouse over the years. But, it’s time to take her off the board. She’s never had a weakness. Never had anything I could exploit or use against her. Until now.” Viola raked her finger down Dani’s face as she said it, sending a fresh wave of fear through Dani’s body. Dani shivered.

_This is exactly what Jamie was afraid of. Oh Jamie, I’m so sorry. I just made your worst fears come true._

“That’s right, you understand now. If you are not useful to me with Wingrave, you will be useful to me another way. I will use you to destroy Agent Jamie Taylor. So you see, either way, this is a win-win situation for me.”

“Jamie’s not coming for me,” Dani lied.

“Tsk, tsk. We both know that’s not true, now don’t we?” Viola said, taunting. She then turned to Rebecca. “Rebecca, what do you think?”

“She’ll come for her. Without a doubt,” Rebecca said, emotionless.

“How could you do this to her, Rebecca?” Dani yelled. “She trusted you!”

Rebecca walked closer to Dani. “I don’t expect you to understand, Dani. I’m sorry you got caught up in this. You’re in the middle of something you can’t understand. It’s bigger than you. It’s bigger than Jamie.”

“I think I understand just fine! I understand that you’re a traitor!”

“ENOUGH!” Viola yelled. 

They were interrupted by a solider at the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt, ma’am, but we have Henry Wingrave on the line for you.”

Viola took a second to compose herself and said calmly, “Very well, thank you. Let’s see what he has to say then, shall we?” Then turning to Dani, “We’ll be back, dear. You’ll either be free to go or, well, not.” She laughed as she said it. “Oh, and Peter?”

“Yes, ma’am?” Peter replied.

“If you have to kill her, make it look like an accident. Something like you did with Dominic and Charlotte perhaps. The last thing I need is the CIA looking too closely into her death.”

“My pleasure,” Peter said, looking directly at Dani and sneering.

They filed out of the room, leaving Dani alone again with her guards. Her heart was racing. _Like Dominic and Charlotte?_ They had killed them, too. Dani knew this would all be over soon. What she didn’t know was that Jamie was already in position, that she had been there for some time.

* * *

Jamie had to “borrow” another car to get to the warehouse. Her supplies would never have fit on the motorcycle, which had also likely been reported as stolen by now. She parked a safe distance away from the warehouse, behind an adjacent abandoned building. She got out of the car and popped the trunk, taking stock of her supplies and scanning her surroundings. She pulled the hood up on her jacket, thankful she had chosen all black even though Dani had teased her for it. _Dani._ Even when she was trying not to think about her, everything reminded Jamie of her. She would have her back soon though. Right now Dani needed her to be calm and focused.

Jamie strapped as many guns to her body as she could— around her thighs, under her jacket, on her belt. She strapped knives to her forearms and ankles. She also pocketed a few grenades and throwing stars for good measure. She slung a quiver of arrows across her back, along with the compound bow she had been so happy to discover in the basement of the safe house. She had a type of arrow for everything she would need tonight. Stealth would be key. And then distraction. She knew she would never survive if she went in the front door guns blazing. She also grabbed her duffle bag of explosives.

The first order of business was recon. Jamie knew she didn’t have much time, but she needed to be strategic. She climbed to the roof of the abandoned building where she had parked and laid down on her stomach. Pulling out her binoculars and switching to infrared mode, she did a quick scan of the building. She counted close to fifty mercenaries in the warehouse. She was also fairly certain she had located Dani in the upper room on the fifth floor, sitting in a chair with guards stationed around her. Jamie was incredibly grateful there was a row of windows in that room.

She climbed down from the roof and began making her way towards the warehouse. She ducked behind a dumpster and drew her bow. She wished she had found a silencer at the safe house, but in the absence of one, the bow was the next best thing. And, it was versatile. Even with the pain killers she took on the way, Jamie could feel the strain the weapon was placing on her injured shoulder and arm. She didn’t care though. The fear of losing Dani was worse than any physical pain she could endure. She nocked her first arrow, aimed, and let it fly. The arrow silently sliced through the night and felled the guard closest to her. He collapsed on the ground with the arrow sticking through his neck. Jamie took out the three other guards around the perimeter in similar fashion. She needed to remain undetected for as long as possible. She darted inside, heading straight for the basement. She had to lay her trap quickly. She wasn’t sure how much longer Dani had.

* * *

Viola, Peter, and Rebecca returned quickly to Dani, which she knew was a bad sign. 

“Well, it seems your boss doesn’t care that much about you after all,” Viola stated, getting right to the point. “That’s disappointing, but no matter. You can still serve some purpose, even if it is just hurting Jamie Taylor. I wonder how quickly she’ll get over your death, or if she ever will?” Viola pondered aloud.

Dani struggled against her bonds, anger building in her. She never wanted to hurt Jamie. But she knew her death would hurt her and there was nothing she could do about it. Tears silently streamed down her face.

“Oh, it’s no use, dear. You are going to die,” Viola said in Dani’s ear.

* * *

Jamie had been pleased to discover that the basement was unguarded, although it was really more of a crawl space than a proper basement. It was nothing worth guarding. She was even more pleased to discover the long forgotten fireworks down there. She quickly got to work setting her explosives, carefully wiring them to achieve her desired effect. This was what she did best. She smiled while she worked, imagining how it would play out if all went according to plan.

When she was satisfied that she had been thorough in her wiring of the building, she made her way back up to the ground floor. She crouched behind a set of crates, blending into the shadows. This floor was teeming with targets. There was no way she could take them all on. But, she had planned for this. She just had to get them out of her way so she could proceed upstairs unchallenged. She pulled one of her remote detonators out of her pocket and pressed the button. If they didn’t already know she was here, they were about to.

BOOM!

The dumpster Jamie had earlier used as cover exploded in fiery fury. The guards snapped to attention, running outside to investigate, clearing almost the entire floor for her. As soon as they did, Jamie set off a series of explosions. 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

She had attached bombs to every vehicle outside that she safety could without being seen. The mercenaries didn’t know where she was or what direction the attack was coming from. It sounded like they were under attack from all sides. All but five guards ran outside to face the unknown threat. One against five? Jamie liked those odds.

She ran out from her hiding place, guns blazing, screaming as she fired.

* * *

“Peter, untie Ms. Clayton for me,” Viola instructed. Her voice was cold and calculating. It terrified Dani.

Peter roughly untied her. Dani tried to lunge for him but he was too strong and too fast. He kicked her legs out from under her, hitting her injured leg. Dani cried in agony and fell as Peter forced her to her knees in front of him. He lifted the gun to her forehead. Dani looked frantically at Rebecca, but she seemed resigned to Dani’s fate. She would be no help.

“Do it,” Viola instructed. “End her.”

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

_Jamie!_

“Fucking Jamie Taylor!” Viola yelled. Then she got an idea. “Peter, wait. I want her to watch when you do it.”

Peter nodded, keeping his gun trained on Dani’s head, his finger on the trigger.

* * *

Jamie had easily dispatched the five guards on the ground level. She ran to the elevator. As soon as she got inside, they cut the power. _Doesn’t matter. Won’t slow me down._

Jamie climbed up through the hatch in the ceiling of the elevator and hoisted herself on top of it, only vaguely aware of how badly the motion hurt her shoulder. She stood on top of it and stared up the elevator shaft. She took out her bow and selected just the arrow for the job. She fired it straight up, the arrow locking into place at the top, the rope having deployed behind it. She held on tightly to her bow and pressed the button to retract the rope, pulling her upward with surprising force and speed. She came to a stop at the top of the elevator shaft and swung to the side to jump onto a narrow ledge. She knew she couldn’t go through the elevator doors. They would be waiting for her there. What she needed was an air duct. She couldn’t see much in the dark shaft, so she pulled out her flashlight and did a quick sweep. There! Holding on carefully to the ledge, Jamie inched closer to the air vent in the corner. She pulled it open and climbed inside. It was pitch black and dusty. She coughed as she breathed it in. She pulled out her flashlight again and held it in her mouth. The duct was barely big enough for her to shimmy through. _The things I’ll do for you, Dani._

Jamie heard the power coming back on with a hum. They were going to use the elevator to come up. She didn’t need any extra company. She pulled a grenade from her belt and launched it down towards the oncoming elevator. The entire elevator shaft exploded, the fire shooting straight up, the brightness almost blinding Jamie, the heat causing her to instantly perspire. She crawled further into the vent to escape, the flames licking at her feet as she scrambled away.

The crawling motion sent excruciating pain through Jamie’s shoulder, cutting through even the pain killers. Jamie only gritted her teeth and kept going. When Jamie heard voices below her, she knew she was getting close. She had been crawling in the general direction of where they were keeping Dani, looking for a grate she could exit from. She saw one ahead of her. She turned her flashlight off and crawled toward the light. When she got to the vent, she realized she was in the right place. She was directly on top of Viola Willoughby. Jamie glanced over and saw Dani. _Dani!_ She was on her knees, Peter’s gun trained on her head. She had been crying. She looked terrified. _No!_ Rebecca was also there, along with four additional guards. Jamie knew that Viola, Peter, and Rebecca were more lethal than every other guard put together. Plus, Dani would be in the line of fire. This would be the hardest and most dangerous thing Jamie had ever done. She knew they were waiting for her, that in some sick way Viola wanted her to watch Dani die. Jamie wouldn’t keep them waiting. She spared one more glance at Dani, took a deep breath, and kicked out the vent, crashing down into the room below.

* * *

Dani knew from all the explosions that Jamie was there. It sounded like she had brought all of MI5 with her. Dani allowed herself to feel a glimmer of hope amidst the fear. _Maybe she can do this. Jamie, where are you? Are you ok? I wish I knew._

Dani heard the explosion in the elevator shaft. _She’s getting closer. Be careful, Jamie!_ She saw two remaining guards rally to the room where she was currently kneeling with a gun to her head. She cut her eyes up at them and saw that they were rattled. 

“Have you seen her?” One guard asked the other.

“No,” he responded. “She’s a ghost.”

“And the guys outside?”

“All dead. Arrows through the necks.”

_Arrows?! She’s using arrows now?!_

A voice cut through the radio. “There’s no one out here! The explosions must have been detonated remotely!”

Viola took a nearby guard’s radio. “Because she’s in here, you idiots! Everyone come back inside! I want Jamie Taylor found NOW and brought to me!”

Dani smiled inwardly, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the havoc Jamie seemed to be wreaking. But she was also terrified. _She’s alone. There’s no MI5 army. It’s just her. How is she even going to get in here? There are guards everywhere. They’ll shoot her on sight._

CRASH!!!

Jamie fell from the ceiling on top of Viola.

_Jamie!!!!!_

Dani watched in horror and amazement as Jamie wrestled with Viola. She had wrapped her legs around Viola’s waist and her arms around her throat. Every guard in the room raised their guns, but they couldn’t shoot without risking hitting Viola, too. 

Peter kept his gun trained on Dani while Rebecca quickly forced her back into the chair and tied her again.

“Can’t have you getting any ideas,” Rebecca said.

“No!” Dani struggled. She wanted to help, but now all she could do was watch.

Viola allowed herself to fall backwards, forcing her full body weight down on Jamie. Jamie grunted. Dani hurt just watching, knowing every place where Jamie was hurt. _Her_ Jamie.

Jamie and Viola were locked in a struggle, Jamie’s legs still pinned around Viola’s waist. Viola managed to flip herself over. She was now on top of Jamie and had her pinned. She brutally brought her fist down over and over again on Jamie’s face.

“Nooooo!” Dani screamed.

Hearing Dani scream gave Jamie a burst of adrenaline. She reached for one of her guns, but Viola noticed and knocked the gun out of her hand. It skittered across the floor.

“Tsk, tsk,” Viola said. “None of that.”

But Jamie had a knife up her sleeve. She brought her other hand up and around Viola, plunging the knife down into her shoulder.

Viola screamed and rolled off Jamie. 

Still on her back, Jamie quickly pulled the ninja stars from her pockets and threw them towards Dani, cutting through the rope that was holding her to the chair.

“Get down, Dani!” She screamed as she pulled two guns out and started shooting at the advancing guards. She tried to scrambling to her feet while she did. Dani got to the ground, ducking from the gunfire that was exploding all around her.

“Get me out of here!” Viola yelled to Peter, pulling the knife from her shoulder.

“But what about—?”

“Leave them!” Viola yelled.

Peter was loathe to leave. He wanted to finish off Jamie Taylor once and for all. He saw her struggling with the guards, but more were on the way up. She was wounded and tired. Surely they could wear her down enough to finally get her. Dani would most likely be killed in the crossfire.

Rebecca grabbed his arm. “Think this through. We need to get out of here. You _know_ she has a plan.”

“Shit!” Peter said, realization dawning as to what that plan probably entailed. “The helicopter, now!”

Jamie saw Viola, Peter, and Rebecca escape, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She was pinned down and trying to keep the fight away from Dani. _They know what I’m planning. Of course Rebecca knows. I need to end this. NOW._

Jamie holstered her guns and drew her bow, quickly firing an arrow towards the guards’ feet. It erupted in a flash bang and smoke, shielding her from their vision. They didn’t dare fire in the smoke, worried they would hit each other. Jamie had four of them left to dispatch of. Knowing where they last stood, she quickly fired arrows in their direction. She heard two of them fall with a thud. A third came charging through the smoke towards her, screaming at her as he ran. Jamie didn’t have time to nock another arrow, so instead she used her bow as a weapon. The man drew his batons and fired them up. _Shit!_ Jamie could see the electricity coursing through the batons. _I cannot let those touch me._

The smoke was dissipating and Dani saw that Jamie had killed two of the remaining four guards. She was locked in combat with the third. _Holy shit! Is she fighting with a bow?! Wow. Why is that so hot? Dani, get yourself under control._ The fourth guard came running towards Dani, grabbing her from behind. He held her hard, pinning her arms to her chest. He was going to use her as a shield against Jamie. 

Jamie was fighting with the guard and saw Dani get taken. _No!_ In that moment of distraction, she took a hit in the back with the baton, electricity coursing through her body. She screamed and fell to her knees, her legs giving out under her. She dropped her bow.

Seeing Jamie fall, Dani sprung into action. She leaned into her captor just like Jamie had taught her, shifting her weight, and jamming her elbow into his groin as hard as she could. He screamed and let go of her immediately, falling to his knees as Dani’s knee collided with his face as he fell. He was out cold by the time he hit the floor, Dani standing triumphantly over him.

The scene distracted the guard fighting Jamie. He was shocked when he saw his comrade felled by the blonde. When he looked over, Jamie hopped up, pulled an arrow from her quiver, and rammed it directly through his neck. He look her in the eyes right before he fell.

Jamie limped towards the door and locked it. She couldn’t afford to have anymore guards run in. She already heard them heading her way. She turned around and Dani crashed into her, pulling her into a fierce hug.

“Jamie, Jamie, Jamie, Jamie,” she kept saying over and over.

Jamie threw her arms around Dani, so relieved to feel Dani’s body against her own once again. But they weren’t safe yet.

“Escape first, hug later, yeah?” Jamie said.

Dani nodded quickly, breaking away from the hug. “How are we going to get out of here?” She asked.

Jamie smiled. “Follow me.”

Jamie retrieved her bow from the floor and walked towards the window. She pulled out a gun and shot the window out, clearing any remaining glass from the bottom with her bow. 

“I can’t believe you brought a bow and arrow to a gun fight,” Dani said, coming up behind her.

Jamie smirked. “Wouldn’t want you to get bored seeing the same old tricks, now would I?”

“You’re insane. And hot,” Dani said, in awe.

Jamie smiled and lined up her shot. She sent an arrow flying towards the roof of the building where she had done her recon. It found it’s target. Jamie attached her end of the rope to the top of the window frame, creating a zip line. She looped her bow through it, standing in the window sill.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me,” Dani said, realizing what she intended to do.

The guards were shooting their way through the door now.

“Would you rather stay here?” Jamie asked urgently.

“No! How are we doing this?” Dani replied quickly, joining Jamie up on the window sill.

“Just hold on to me, Poppins, and don’t let go,” Jamie instructed.

“Never,” Dani responded, wrapping her arms around Jamie. 

Jamie spared one arm, her injured one, to wrap around Dani’s waist, pulling her close. Her other hand held her bow tightly. Then she stepped off the ledge, pulling Dani with her. Dani screamed in her ear as they sliced through the night air, hurtling towards the other building. The guards fired at them through the window but they were already too far away to hit. Dani was terrified of heights and having her feet just dangling through the air was a whole new level of terror. But, she was holding on to Jamie and Jamie was holding on to her and Jamie would never let her fall. _She saved me. She actually did it._

They touched down on the roof of the next building a few seconds later. Jamie made sure Dani didn’t lose her balance and fall when they landed. She then released the arrow, letting the rope fall to the ground below them. She walked back over to Dani, suddenly feeling very nervous.

“Hey,” Jamie said.

“Jamie, I swear to God, if you get awkward right now and don’t kiss m—“

Jamie cut her off with a searing kiss, pulling Dani close. Dani brought her hands to Jamie’s face, eagerly reciprocating. Jamie kissed her with passion, pouring all of her love into it, as well as all of her fear of losing her. Her lips moved with a force that spoke stronger than any verbal promise. Dani moaned into the kiss, matching her hunger and intensity. Jamie kept one hand on Dani’s arm while she reached into her pocket, bringing out her remote detonator. Without breaking the kiss, Jamie pushed the button. The warehouse exploded in a loud fireball. Dani briefly cut her eyes over to the burning building but didn’t stop kissing Jamie, her tongue now seeking entrance. Jamie smiled into the kiss, letting Dani in fully. And then the fireworks started. Literal fireworks. They both broke away for a moment to watch the fireworks shooting into the sky, exploding over the burning building and cascading down in a beautiful sea of color and light.

“Jamie?” Dani said in awe. “You did this?”

“I might have had something to do with it, yeah. Might be I know a thing or two about how to rig explosives for the desired effect.” She winked, clearly proud of herself.

Dani stared up at the sky in awe. “It’s incredible. Thank you,” she whispered.

“I just wanted our first kiss to be perfect is all,” Jamie said shyly.

“Oh Jamie, you’re perfect,” Dani said, leaning in to kiss her again.

This time the kiss was slower, more purposeful, their lips gently moving against each other. It was tender and full of love, the fireworks still going off in the background. But neither of them were paying much attention to them now. They were experiencing a different kind of fireworks being set off inside of them. Dani’s kisses suddenly became more desperate as she thought about how close they had come to losing each other, her hands roaming over Jamie’s body, just needing to feel her. She needed to know that she was real and she was here. That this was actually happening. Jamie had no trouble meeting her intensity, their tongues fighting for dominance, neither able to get enough of the other. Finally, Jamie pulled back and rested her forehead against Dani’s. They were both out of breath. Dani pulled Jamie into a tight hug. She never wanted to let go of her. Jamie felt the same. She ran her hands up and down Dani’s back, the contact so soothing to both of them. Jamie couldn’t believe she had Dani back. _I did it. I actually did it. I saved her. And somehow I’m still alive, too._

“We need to get moving,” Jamie finally said.

“I know,” Dani said.

“You know, Poppins, now that I’ve started kissing you, I should warn you that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop.”

“Good. Because I don’t ever want you to,” Dani replied. She was rewarded with Jamie’s biggest smile.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jamie said.

Jamie led Dani through the abandoned building and out to the car. Dani’s eyebrows went up.

“Stole _another_ car, I see?”

“ _Borrowed_ is more like it. And yes, I needed room to transport all my explosives so you could have the pretty fireworks and I could take out all the bad guys,” she said sarcastically.

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Dani said, throwing her hands up. She climbed in the passenger side while Jamie slid behind the wheel.

“Where are we going?” Dani asked quietly.

“Honestly, Poppins, I don’t know. I haven’t worked that part out yet. I was only focused on getting you back and couldn’t really think past that,” she said, as she started the engine and pulled away.

“Thank you, Jamie, for rescuing me,” Dani said, her voice full of love and awe. She couldn’t take her eyes off Jamie while she was driving. She finally felt safe again, here in Jamie’s presence.

“Not rescuing you wasn’t an option, Dani. I hope you never doubted that I was coming for you.”

“I didn’t doubt that, no. What I doubted was your ability to succeed. I don’t know how you did it.”

“I just had to be smarter than them is all.”

“Don’t act like it was nothing. What you did was incredible. _You’re_ incredible.”

Jamie smiled. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I’ve never been so scared in all my life,” Jamie confessed.

“Me either.”

They were both silent for a minute, each thinking through their “what ifs.”

“Jamie? How are you feeling? I know you must be in pain. And what Viola did to you. Your face…”

“Yeah, I definitely think I need to take some more pain killers. I’ve felt better. But I would run my body into the ground to save you any day,” Jamie said sincerely.

“I know you would,” Dani said sadly. “I just wish you didn’t have to.”

“And how are you holding up, Dani? Did they hurt you?”

“No, although Viola has a heck of slap.”

Rage coursed through Jamie knowing that Viola hit Dani. That was unacceptable. It also gave her a lot of empathy for what Dani had to go through, watching Viola hit her like she did. She gripped the steering wheel harder. Dani, not missing anything, noticed.

“Hey, I’m okay,” she said. “We’re safe now, right?”

Jamie was quiet and couldn’t look over at Dani and make eye contact with her.

“Jamie? Are we safe? What aren’t you telling me?”

“We’re not safe, Dani. Not just yet. Viola, Peter, and Rebecca got away. I’m fairly certain I took out everyone else in the explosion, but they are still out there. They may come looking for revenge. I don’t know. We’re not safe until we get home.”

“But we can go home now, right? They sent a plane, right?”

Jamie sighed. She had to tell her. “There’s no plane for us, Dani. We’re on our own.”

“What?” Dani said, not comprehending.

“I best fill you in,” Jamie said, releasing a deep breath.

Jamie told Dani every detail of her conversation with Hannah. By the end of it, Dani had tears streaming down her face.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie.”

“What are you apologizing to me for, Poppins?”

“You lost everything. Because of me. I never would have asked you to do that. You should be on your way home right now.”

“Maybe I’m thinking now that home is wherever you are,” Jamie said softly.

“Oh, Jamie,” Dani said, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on Jamie’s bruised cheek while she drove. “I don’t deserve what you’ve done, and what you’ve lost, for me tonight.”

“I made my own choices tonight, Dani. You didn’t force me to do anything. I made the choice I can live with. I’ve no regrets about it. We just need to figure out how to get home now is all. I can sort out the rest later.”

Jamie saw a cheap motel up ahead. “We need a place to crash for the night, well, at least what’s left of the night anyway. In the morning, we’ll see about those passports. This look ok to you?”

“Well, I mean, it looks like we might get bed bugs here, but yeah, I think this will work. We need some sleep and I need to re-bandage your wounds.”

Jamie parked the car. She didn’t like the looks of this place either, but she was physically and emotionally exhausted and they were out of options. She turned the car off and looked over at Dani, who was looking back at her with a mixture of love and adoration. Jamie leaned towards her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, which Dani smiled into.

“I could definitely get used to this,” Dani said. She loved the feeling of Jamie’s lips against her’s.

Jamie smiled and got out of the car, going to the trunk to get her backpack. That was all they had— one backpack of supplies between the two of them. Jamie grabbed everything she could from the safe house; she hoped it would be enough. She pulled some cash out and then slung the backpack on, wincing when the strap came to rest on her shoulder.

“Here, let me take that,” Dani said, offering her hand out.

Jamie was about to protest but Dani gave her a look that said she was not to be argued with. Jamie shrugged the backpack off and handed it to Dani.

“Thanks.”

“That’s what girlfriends are for,” Dani replied matter of factly, putting the backpack on. “We carry each other burdens, right?”

“Right,” Jamie said, knowing they were talking about a lot more than just the heavy backpack. “Now let’s go see about those bed bugs.”

They limped hand in hand into the hotel, ready to face whatever came next _together._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody happy now? They finally kissed! Yay! I hope it met your expectations. 
> 
> Also, for anyone who is interested, this chapter was written under the influence of Taylor Swift’s “The Archer.”
> 
> See you all in a couple days with chapter 12! Our girls are not out of the woods yet!


	12. The Thief in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter so much! Thank you for all the lovely comments.

Jamie turned the key into their motel room and Dani shut and locked the door behind them. Jamie did a quick sweep of the small room and bathroom. It was clear.

“Oh look, two beds this time, Poppins. Guess you won’t have to sleep next to me anymore,” Jamie said sarcastically.

Dani rolled her eyes. “I’m not dignifying that with a response.”

“Oh?” Jamie said, quirking her eyebrow, “So, you _do_ wanna sleep with me then?”

Dani tossed the backpack on the extra bed and began rifling through the contents. “Oh, in more ways than one,” she muttered.

Of course Jamie heard it. Dani meant for her to. Jamie smiled.

“Didn’t realize you were so turned on by near death experiences, Dani.” Jamie said, teasingly, plopping down on the other bed and taking her shoes off.

“Oh, I’m not, trust me,” Dani replied. 

“Hmm… what was it then that’s got you thinking such inappropriate thoughts while we’re in the middle of a crisis here?” Jamie was genuinely curious.

“The bow and arrow,” Dani replied quickly and quietly. She didn’t want to look up at Jamie when she said it, so she just continued to rifle through the backpack.

Jamie snickered. “Hmmm. Noted.” _I reallllllly did get a lot of mileage out of that bow tonight, didn’t I?_ Jamie smiled to herself.

Dani smirked as she pulled some medical supplies out of the backpack, along with a few protein bars. They hadn’t eaten since lunch and it was well past midnight at this point. She tossed one to Jamie, who immediately opened it. They ate in silence. Jamie looked like she could fall asleep sitting up at any moment.

“Let me check your bandages before you fall asleep,” Dani said, moving over to the bed to sit next to Jamie.

Jamie unzipped her jacket and tossed it on the other bed next to the backpack. Dani checked her arm first, rolling up the sleeve. Jamie had bled through the bandage. It made Dani feel awful. She only had an inkling of how much Jamie had pushed herself tonight. Dani applied antibiotic ointment over the stitches. Jamie watched as Dani’s fingers worked, finding them so soothing to her hurting body. Dani gently reapplied the bandage. She then moved to Jamie’s shoulder, pulling the collar of her shirt down to expose the wound. She had also bled through this bandage. It broke Dani’s heart to see.

“Can you hold your collar down like this so I can work?” She asked Jamie.

“Yeah,” Jamie said, holding it down with her other arm so Dani had her hands free. “Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary,” Dani said, smiling at her.

Jamie easily returned the smile. She couldn’t take her eyes off Dani. She couldn’t believe this beautiful, kind, caring woman loved her. 

“Do you think they’ll find us here?” Dani asked.

“I fucking hope not. But we have to leave in the morning. We can’t stay in any one place too long,” Jamie stated. “Oh, and I should have mentioned it sooner. But, nice work back there. Taking down that guy, that is. You more than likely saved my life.”

Dani broke out into a huge grin. “My pleasure, Agent Taylor,” she said formally. “I learned from the best.”

“Really?” Jamie asked, intrigued. “And who might that be?”

Dani giggled and leaned in to kiss Jamie. Jamie loved it. _I don’t remember now why I wanted to wait to do this. This is bloody fantastic._

“You know who, silly.” She said. “And I do hope there will be more lessons in the future,” Dani stated, her tone flirtatious.

Jamie smirked. “That can be arranged. I imagine they may need to be more _advanced_ now. More _hands on_.”

Dani’s brain short-circuited just imagining it. Jamie knew exactly what she was doing to her.

“Uh, uh, yeah. I think I would, uh, definitely learn best that way,” Dani stammered.

Jamie smiled. She was so in love with this adorable woman.

“So, are you going to tell me everything that happened at the warehouse?” Dani asked, recovering. She still really didn’t know how Jamie had pulled it off.

“Not tonight,” Jamie said, the tiredness in her voice evident.

“Ok, but I do want to hear it. All of it.”

“And I’ll tell you, Poppins. It really was quite genius, if I do say so myself.”

“So humble,” Dani teased, finishing up her work on Jamie’s shoulder and pulling her collar back up. 

“You next,” Jamie instructed, indicating towards Dani’s leg.

“It’s fine,” Dani protested. “I can do it.”

“Poppins…” Jamie said in a warning tone. “Don’t be arguing with me on this or there will be consequences. Give me your leg.” Jamie was exhausted and hurt all over, but there was no way in hell she wasn’t going to take care of Dani.

Dani knew better than to argue. After all, she’d seen Jamie in action. She swung her leg up onto to Jamie’s lap. Jamie tried to roll Dani’s pants leg up, but her jeans were too tight. 

“Uh, Dani, I think you’re going to have to take these off,” Jamie said.

“What?” Dani replied, her body frozen, her eyes wide.

“Jeans. Off. Now,” Jamie instructed.

Dani gulped.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Poppins, don’t be going all modest on me now,” Jamie said, reading the hesitation on Dani’s face. “I’m just tending to your leg, that’s all, I promise.”

Dani nodded and stood up, trying to figure out why she suddenly felt so nervous. This was Jamie. She was safe with her. She unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs, tossing them on the bed next to Jamie’s discarded jacket. Jamie couldn’t help it; her heart started racing at the sight of Dani in her purple underwear. _Not the time, Taylor, stop looking._

Dani sat back down and tentatively swung her leg back up on Jamie’s lap. She noticed how dark Jamie’s eyes had gotten. _At least it’s not just me who feels this way all the time._ She felt almost smug knowing she was having an effect on Jamie.

Jamie got to work on Dani’s leg. She took the old bandage off, applied ointment and began re-bandaging it. She was trying _very_ hard not to think about the fact that she was on a bed with a half-naked Dani Clayton. She was perplexed though about why Dani had gotten so nervous about it. Did she not trust her? Did she think Jamie would do something she wasn’t ready for? Jamie had to know what Dani was thinking. It was important to her.

“What’s on your mind, Poppins?” Jamie asked, as she finished applying the new bandage to Dani’s calf. “You acted kind of skittish there a minute ago.”

“I, uh, I don’t really know, honestly,” Dani replied.

“You trust me, right?” Jamie asked. “I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable or pressure you to do something you didn’t want to. You know that, right?” 

“Yeah, I do. I trust you completely. And I know that.”

“So, what’s the problem then?” Jamie asked gently.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Dani asked quietly. She removed her leg from Jamie’s lap and hugged her knees to her chest. 

Jamie turned to face her. “No, I’m not. I want you to feel safe with me. That’s really important to me. You looked kind of scared. You can tell me anything. Please.”

“Yeah, ok. I guess I just felt insecure there for a minute,” Dani confessed.

“What on earth for, Dani?”

Dani took a deep breath. “Uh ok, here goes. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before… with anyone. And, I think you know that I _really_ want to sleep with you. Like, I _want_ that. A lot.”

Jamie gave a small laugh. “You’ve dropped some hints to that effect, yeah. And the feeling’s mutual, for the record.”

Dani gave a little awkward laugh. “Right. And I know that’s not happening tonight.”

“Definitely not. I feel like hell,” Jamie interjected.

“Right. But it _will_ at some point happen.”

“I hope so, yeah,” Jamie admitted, still not understanding what was going on.

“I know I flirt and make comments, but Jamie, I have to be honest with you. I owe you the truth, and you’re going to find out for yourself anyway. When it comes down to it, I have _no_ idea what I’m doing here. I’ve only ever been with Eddie. So, when you asked me to take my pants off, I know it wasn’t about sex, but all of a sudden, I thought about what it _would_ be like when that is the case. And I sort of froze because I realized that I won’t even know what to do. And I don’t want to disappoint you. Because you deserve the best. And so I guess I was just freaking out and feeling really inadequate,” Dani said, the words tumbling out.

Jamie could have kicked herself for not realizing sooner that Dani’s inexperience could be an area of insecurity for her.

“Oh, come here, baby,” Jamie said, opening her arms to Dani, who scooted right into them. “Please don’t worry about that, ok? Our first time together will be perfect because it’s us. It will be great for me because it’s _you_. I don’t expect you to be any certain way. I just want _you_. There’s no pressure and there will certainly not be any disappointment. You could never disappoint me in any way. You can follow my lead and we’ll only do what you’re comfortable with, ok? I’ll check in with you every step of the way. And we won’t do anything until we’re both ready. You don’t have anything to worry about. I don’t want there to be any fear or feelings of inadequacy in this relationship, ok?”

“Ok. Thank you, Jamie,” Dani whispered, the relief evident in her voice. “I feel better now, with you knowing. I just don’t want to mess this up.”

“You could never mess this up. Thank you for telling me. I always want to know what’s going on with you. I’m glad I know how you’re feeling so I can be mindful of it,” Jamie responded, placing a kiss to the top of Dani’s head.

“I _am_ looking forward to it, even if I am a little scared,” Dani said.

“Me too, Poppins, me too. And, it’s ok to be a little scared. I am, too. But, we’re safe with each other. And, if your self-defense training is any indication, I think you’ll be a quick study,” Jamie said playfully. Dani laughed.

Dani scooted back out of Jamie’s arms and smiled at her. She felt better knowing she could talk so openly with Jamie. She stood up and put her jeans back on. She then fished an ice pack out of the backpack and cracked it to make it cold. She went to the bathroom to grab a hand towel and wrapped the ice pack in it.

“For your face,” Dani explained, as she sat back down next to Jamie. “It’s starting to swell up a bit.”

“Is it? Shit!” Jamie said. “I hate when they get my face!” She started to reach for the ice pack from Dani, but Dani didn’t give it to her.

“Go ahead and get comfortable first. You look exhausted, Jamie. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, I feel thoroughly tended to. Thank you, Dani.”

Dani smiled. “Good. I like taking care of you.”

Jamie got up off the bed just long enough to pull the covers down and put her gun under the pillow. She then climbed in and let Dani pull the covers up over her body, tucking her in. She smiled at the warm gesture. Dani turned on the beside lamp and cut off the overhead lights. She then climbed in bed next to Jamie, who was laying on her back and looking up at her expectantly. Dani rolled on her side to face Jamie and gently brought the ice pack to her swollen cheek.

“How does that feel?” Dani asked.

“Really nice,” came the contented reply.

“You can fall asleep at any time, Jamie. Don’t try to fight it. I’ll be right here.”

“Maybe you could just talk to me a bit first? But maybe not about the deep shite we’re in. Something lighter maybe?” Jamie asked softly. Dani was touched by her vulnerability. She remembered how hard today had been on Jamie, too. Not just physically, but emotionally. She wished she could take away all the pain.

“I can definitely do that,” Dani replied, her tone light. “There are still a lot of things we don’t know about each other yet. And, I mean, I think we should get to the really important stuff. So Jamie, I have to know… who is your favorite Avenger?”

Jamie chuckled. “ _That’s_ what you want to know?! You really are adorable, you know that?”

Dani blushed. “Well, what’s the answer?”

“I think it should be obvious, Dani.”

“It’s Black Widow, isn’t it?” Dani guessed.

“‘Course it’s Black Widow. She’s a badass and doesn’t need superpowers to get shit done. What’s not to like? Although I have to admit, I also have a soft spot for Captain Marvel. I just really like Brie Larson.”

Dani continued to move the ice pack around Jamie’s face, soothing all the hurt spots. “Now, that is _very_ interesting information, Agent Taylor.”

“What can I say, Poppins? I have a thing for strong blondes. I won’t apologize for it.”

Dani chuckled. “Nor would I ask you to,” she said, winking.

“And what about you, Dani? Who’s your favorite Avenger?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Wonder Woman.

“Wonder Woman’s not an Avenger, Dani.”

“Ok, first of all, it’s adorable that you know that. Second of all, she’s still my answer.”

“Everyone knows she’s in the Justice League, Dani. But, I’ll bite, why is she your favorite ‘Avenger’?”

Dani’s tone changed from playful to serious. “Because she believes in love. Because she knows her strength is found in her ability to love,” she said sincerely.

Jamie was quiet for a moment, considering this answer. “Are you telling me I should be Wonder Woman instead of Black Widow?”

“No, of course not. I would never tell you that. I’m saying you can be both.”

Jamie smiled. _I can be both. Maybe Dani is right. Maybe I can find strength in love without losing who I am. I like that. I can be both, and that’s okay._

Dani was about to say something else, but she realized that Jamie had fallen asleep. She smiled down at her sleeping girlfriend who had risked everything for her tonight. She placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight, Jamie. I love you.”

Dani leaned over and turned off the lamp, plunging the room in darkness. She scooted as close to Jamie as she could, nuzzling into her good shoulder and wrapping her arm protectively around her waist. Being nestled against Jamie made Dani feel safe, secure, and most importantly, loved. She quickly joined her in sleep.

* * *

Three hours later, Jamie and Dani were still snuggled together, sound asleep, the day having taken its toll on both of them. Jamie had curled into Dani at some point, reaching for her even in sleep. Had they not been so exhausted, they might have heard the deadbolt on their door turning. They might have heard Peter and Rebecca’s soft footsteps as they walked into the room. They might have heard Rebecca draw her gun, clicking the safety off and pointing it at them in bed as she stood by the light switch, ready to flood the room with light. But, they didn’t hear any of that. 

Instead, they awoke to Peter roughly yanking Jamie out of bed…

Jamie couldn’t comprehend what was happening. She woke up as she hit the floor, the crushing weight of someone on top of her. She opened her eyes right as the lights came on. Her eyes watered from the sudden change and she blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of her current situation. Her mind felt sluggish from sleep. Peter Quint came into focus over top of her.

“Jamieeeee!” It was Dani.

“Don’t you dare move, Dani! Stay where you are!” Rebecca shouted.

_Peter. Rebecca. Dani. SHIT!!!!! They found us._ Jamie’s brain was starting to catch up, right as Peter hit her. She struggled to get up but only made it to her knees. She looked up at the bed. Dani was still there, frozen where she had leaned forward to try to get to Jamie. Rebecca’s gun was trained on her. Fear and rage coursed through Jamie’s body, fully waking her up. Dani looked desperate. Jamie felt desperate. _What the hell am I supposed to do now?!_

“You weren’t easy to find, you know?” Peter said. “We’ve been looking for you all night. Finally stumbled across the right motel. Easily paid off the front desk worker to give us your room number. And now you’ll die for what you did tonight.”

“Rebecca! Please!” Dani tried to appeal to her.

“You all brought this on yourselves. It’s not personal,” Rebecca replied.

“Feels pretty damn personal, Jessel,” Jamie countered. _I did not blow up an entire warehouse to rescue Dani just for these two to kill us in a cheap motel. No!_

Dani felt helpless from her perch on the bed. She was still trying to process the scene in front of her. Trying to process how Jamie had been ripped from her arms while they were sleeping. Dani was on Jamie’s side of the bed, looking down at the scene in front of her. In Jamie’s current state, she was outmatched by Peter. Rebecca had her gun aimed for Dani if she tried anything. It was torture for Dani. She stretched her arm out on the mattress, trying to get a better view of Jamie, but all she could see was the back of her head. But, then Dani’s hand slid under Jamie’s pillow and she felt cold steel. _Jamie’s gun._ Dani’s hand curled around it, releasing the safety under the pillow, no one aware of what she was doing.

Jamie was not going down without a fight. She lunged at Peter, trying to throw him off balance. He easily blocked her, grabbing her by the shoulders. When he saw her wince, he knew she was injured. His hands probed her shoulders until her found her bullet wound. He shoved his thumb in it and pushed. Jamie screamed in agony and fell to the floor. Peter drew his gun and began to squeeze the trigger. Rebecca turned her head to watch him kill Jamie.

BANG!

Jamie closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. When Peter’s body collapsed in front of her, she couldn’t make it make sense. The blood was pooling around his body from a gunshot wound to the chest. His gun fell in front of her. Jamie quickly turned around to see Dani still sitting on the bed and holding the smoking gun. _She used my gun. Peter is dead. Dani just saved my life._

“Noooooooo!” Rebecca shouted, aiming her gun at Dani and preparing to fire. She would avenge her lover’s death.

_Dani!_

BANG!

Rebecca fell to the floor. Jamie stood up from where she had just fired Peter’s gun from her knees. She kicked Rebecca’s gun out of her hand and knelt over her. She was still alive but wouldn’t be for long. Jamie leaned over her, cradling her head in her hands.

“I’m sorry, Rebecca, I had to,” Jamie said, tears streaming down her face.

“I know,” Rebecca whispered. “I would have done the same.”

And then she was gone.

“No, no, no,” Jamie said. She was heartbroken that it had come to this. But she had to protect Dani. _Dani! She needs me._ Jamie stood up and tentatively walked to Dani, who was still sitting on the bed, gun in hand, staring at Peter’s body. She had a blank expression on her face. _She’s in shock._

“Hey,” Jamie said gently. “Let me have the gun, Dani.” 

She slowly reached for the gun in Dani’s hand and took it from her. 

“Dani? Dani, look at me.”

“I killed him,” she said, still staring ahead at Peter’s body, not looking at Jamie.

“I know, baby, and I’m so sorry you had to.”

“I KILLED someone, Jamie! Oh my God, I killed him!” The truth was sinking in. Jamie didn’t know how to help her. She didn’t know if she should touch her or not.

“Dani! Please look at me. Please!”

Dani finally turned her head to make eye contact with Jamie. 

“Jamie? What have I done?” She sounded so small, so fragile to Jamie.

“You saved my life. That’s what you did. And I’m grateful, Dani. He was a bad man and you did the right thing. I know it’s hard. You probably just saved a lot of lives with what you did.”

Dani glanced behind Jamie’s shoulder to see Rebecca’s body.

“You killed Rebecca.” 

“Yeah, I did. She was going to kill you, so…”

“She was your friend,” Dani said quietly.

“Yeah, she was. I’m sorry I had to do it,” Jamie said sadly. “But I would do it again.”

They heard sirens in the distance. No doubt the shots had attracted attention.

Jamie grabbed Dani by the shoulders. “Look, we can talk about this in the car. But, right now, we have to get out of here. Put your shoes on, Dani. Let’s go!”

Dani seemed to snap out of it enough to put her shoes on and grab their backpack. Jamie also put her shoes on and then searched Peter’s body for his car keys. The police would be looking for their car, so she would take Peter’s. She took Dani’s hand and led her out to the parking lot. She pressed the remote on the keys, looking to see which headlights would blink. A black SUV near the exit lit up for them.

“There! Let’s go!” 

Jamie opened the passenger side door for Dani and she climbed in, still in shock. They had barely pulled out of the parking lot when they passed three police cars turning into the motel.

“That was too close,” Jamie observed. Dani was silent beside her.

Jamie glanced at the clock. 4:00am. _I just need to put some distance between us and the motel. Then I need to find a safe place to park and I need to take care of Dani. Oh, poor Dani._ Jamie’s heart broke for Dani, for the innocence that she had just lost. Jamie pulled off into some type of industrial park. She parked out of sight of the main road and turned off the car. 

“What are we doing?” Dani finally asked.

“We’re just going to spend the rest of the night here, Poppins. Regroup. Set out again in the morning.”

“Ok,” Dani said softly.

“Look, the back of this SUV is huge, I’m going to see if there are any blankets. Maybe we can make it more cozy. Ok?”

Dani just nodded. Jamie was glad though that she was communicating with her at all. Dani had been through a lot today and Jamie honestly didn’t know how she was still standing. Jamie was trained to deal with death and trauma; Dani was not.

Jamie went around to the trunk. Sure enough, there were blankets among the supplies back there. She folded down the backseat to make the area bigger and spread out the blankets.

“Dani, will you come join me back here?” Jamie asked.

Dani got out of the SUV and walked around to the back. Jamie offered her hand and Dani took it, climbing in and joining her. Jamie closed the back door.

“Talk to me, Dani,” Jamie implored.

“I’ll be ok, Jamie. I’m just kind of in shock right now.”

“I know you are, baby, and that’s ok. I’m so, so sorry you had to do that. I know it’s hard, no matter who it is.”

“Thanks, Jamie,” Dani said in a quiet voice. “I hope you know I don’t regret it.”

“It’s okay if you do,” Jamie said, trying to convey understanding.

“I don’t though. And that scares me, too. I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving you. Jamie, he was going to kill you!”

Tears came to Dani’s eyes when she said it.

“Yeah, he was, Dani. I thought I was a goner, not gonna lie. You remembered my gun. That was really quick thinking and great shooting, Dani. I’m so proud of you.”

Dani gave a small smile at the praise. Dani could tell that Jamie was holding back, not quite sure how to comfort her.

“You can touch me, you know. I’m not going to break,” Dani said.

Jamie didn’t need to be told twice. She scooted closer and Dani and wrapped her arms around her.

“You’re going to be okay, Dani. We’re going to be okay. We’re going to get home,” she said, rubbing Dani’s arms.

“I know. I believe you. I’m so glad I have you, Jamie.”

“Me too, Poppins. And you’ll always have me.”

“I’m sorry about Rebecca. I know she was your teammate. I liked her, too. And umm, thanks for saving me… again.”

“She didn’t give me a choice. Seems you and I keep saving each other.”

“I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Although maybe we could convey our loyalty in a less dramatic way next time?” Dani suggested.

Jamie chuckled. “Yeah, that’d be fine with me. Wait till Owen and Hannah hear you took out Peter Quint. Oh, that’s going to be fantastic!”

“Jamie!”

“What? If you had told me at the beginning of this week that Dani Clayton, the sweet American au pair, would kill one of the world’s top terrorists by the end of the week, I would have laughed and said you were full of shite.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Dani said sarcastically.

“You are full of surprises, Dani Clayton.”

Jamie yawned. 

“You really need to rest, Jamie. I’m worried about you.”

“If I hadn’t been so tired, I would have heard them come in. Maybe you wouldn’t of had to do what you did. I’m sorry I failed you in that way, Dani.”

“No, just stop that right there. You did not fail me. Don’t apologize for being tired after you took out an entire army to save me. Just don’t.”

“But—“

“No. Just no, Jamie. Come on, let’s try to get a couple hours rest before the sun comes up. And, I swear, if anyone else rips you from my arms, I will kill them, too. I’m fucking over this day. I’ve been blown up, shot at, kidnapped, and now I’ve killed a man.” Dani paused for a moment, reflecting. Then she said quietly, “But also, you kissed me. So, I guess this day wasn’t a total loss.”

Jamie couldn’t help but smile. _She’s going to be ok. She’s been through a lot. And she’s going to have to process it in her own way. But she’s strong. She’ll be ok. I’ll help her._

Jamie placed a quick kiss to Dani’s lips and then gathered up a few blankets around them. She laid down and Dani followed. Jamie pulled the blankets over both of them.

“Jamie? I’m still kind of cold. Would you mind—“

Jamie wrapped her arm around Dani and pulled her into her, spooning her from behind.

“Is this what you need, Poppins?”

“Yes. Thank you, Jamie.”

Jamie kissed Dani’s neck. “Try to get some rest. I’ll be right here.”

And for the second time that night, they fell asleep. What they didn’t know was that there was a tracker on the SUV, and Viola would soon be activating it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just FYI- We are getting closer to the end of this story. (I know, I’m sad, too.) I’m thinking there will probably be another 3-4 chapters. I just wanted to give everyone fair warning. But don’t worry, we still have a lot of adventure to go before it’s over. 
> 
> Also, honest question... now that Jamie and Dani have kissed and have had “the talk,” do you all want this story changed to a mature rating? Right now we’re still in teen rating territory. Do you want to see them do more or keep things at the same level they currently are? I could go either way, so I want to hear what you all want. To be clear, I’m not going to be writing any smut. That’s just not a skill I have. But, we can go into “sexier territory” if you all want that. Just let me know in the comments. :)


	13. The Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, from my question posed at the end of the last chapter, the general consensus seems to be that 100% of you want more sexy times for the girls. Apparently I have put them through a lot and you all think they deserve to have a little fun. And, you know what, you’re right. So, umm yeah, this story is now rated M. Gosh, I really hope this isn’t garbage. But, you know, let me know in the comments.

They awoke when the sun came up. Jamie groaned. She felt like she could sleep for the rest of her life. Her whole body ached. She didn’t think she had ever felt this bad. But, she knew she had to wake up. They weren’t safe. With Peter and Rebecca gone, they were certainly _safer_ , but she knew Viola would come for them. Dani stirred next to her.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Jamie said.

“Hey,” Dani replied, rolling over to look at Jamie. “How are you feeling?”

“Splendid. Never better.”

“Liar,” Dani replied. “You’re not okay, are you?” Dani sat up to look at Jamie.

“I will be. Just pretty banged up is all.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Dani asked, reaching over and placing her hand on Jamie’s face, gently rubbing her thumb along her cheek.

“Mmmm. Well, that feels nice,” Jamie said, leaning into Dani’s hand.

Dani smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

“That helps, too. And how you are feeling today…about everything?” Jamie asked tentatively.

Dani sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. I think maybe let’s just focus on getting home in one piece and then deal with the rest later.”

“One problem at a time,” Jamie agreed, sitting up to look at Dani.

Jamie couldn’t help herself. She leaned in for another kiss from Dani, who was more than happy to reciprocate. It started out slow, but Dani deepened it, needing to feel even closer to Jamie. Sensing her need, Jamie slid her hand under Dani’s sweatshirt, her fingers grazing Dani’s skin. Dani gasped at the contact.

“Is that okay?” Jamie whispered, suddenly worried she had gone too far.

“Yes,” Dani said, surprising Jamie by moving her hand up to her breast. Jamie tentatively squeezed it through her bra and Dani leaned into the contact, moaning into their kiss. Her body was on fire. She wanted Jamie everywhere. She wanted to feel Jamie, too. “Can I?” Dani asked.

Jamie broke away from their kiss long enough to say “yeah” and Dani’s hand immediately made its way to her breast, touching Jamie as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Jamie’s body came alive under Dani’s touch. She knew Dani was holding back, trying to be gentle with her. And that gesture in and of itself did something to Jamie. 

“More,” she heard Dani whisper.

Jamie knew they shouldn’t take things too far, not like this. Not after Dani had just told her she wasn’t ready for that. But before Jamie could think it through, Dani was pulling her down on top of her. Jamie continued kissing her, moving down to her neck. Dani’s hands were roaming up and down her back. They finally settled on her hips. Jamie tentatively pushed her thigh into Dani’s center and Dani gasped, instantly bucking into the contact. Jamie took that as an encouraging sign and pushed a little harder. Dani began thrusting against her thigh, needing the friction and desperately seeking some release from a week’s worth of pent up frustration.

“Dani, we should probably—“

“Don’t you dare stop,” Dani said, panting.

Just then there was a knock on the window.

“Shit!” Jamie yelled in surprise.

It was a security guard. He was speaking in Arabic, but Jamie understood he was asking them to move the car. She wanted to shoot him, but instead she reluctantly rolled off Dani and climbed to the front of the car, giving the guard an apologetic wave.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” She heard Dani muttering behind her as she started the car. 

Dani climbed up to the passenger seat, face flushed, breathing hard, and clenching her legs together. _Poor Dani. We cannot catch a break._

Jamie quickly drove away. She glanced over at one very pissed off Dani Clayton and couldn’t help but chuckle. She’d never seen her so flustered.

“It’s not funny, Jamie.”

“I’m sorry, Dani. You gonna be ok over there?”

“You better finish what you started later. That’s all I have to say about it,” she said, pouting.

Jamie laughed. “I can do so much better than that later.”

“Ugh!” Dani said, leaning her head against the window.

“So Dani, is that how every morning is going to go from now on?” Jamie asked with a smirk. 

Dani turned and glared at her.

“I mean, it’s fine if it is. I’m not complaining,” Jamie said. “I just thought you wanted to take things slow is all.”

“I didn’t actually say _slow_ , I just said I was _nervous._ There’s a difference. And, you know, if things just start happening, they start happening, Jamie,” she said, still flustered. “I _clearly_ don’t have your self control.”

“Thank you for the clarification. That poor security guard though. Think we traumatized him?” Jamie said, laughing.

Dani laughed, too. “I hope we did!”

“I’m sorry though, Dani. There will be other times.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“So Jamie? Where exactly are we going?” Dani asked.

“We’re going to going to meet Hannah’s contact. See if he has our passports ready. Then we get the hell out of Egypt.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Dani agreed.

Jamie drove them back into the city and the traffic got thick again. Dani knew how fidgety Jamie got in traffic, so she offered her hand across the center console. Jamie quickly slipped her hand in Dani’s, the contact instantly calming her. She didn’t know how Dani had that effect on her. Dani rubbed her thumb along Jamie’s hand, knowing how much she liked it. She wanted to learn everything that Jamie liked.

Jamie found a spot on the street near their destination and effortlessly parallel parked. Dani followed Jamie to a storefront. She couldn’t read the sign, but from the inside, she could tell it was an electronics store.

“We need to find Akil,” Jamie said to her. “That’s Hannah’s contact.”

Jamie went up to the counter and spoke with the employee in Arabic. _Of course she speaks Arabic,_ Dani thought. _I’ll add this to the list of reasons why she’s perfect._ Jamie must have said whatever she needed to, because they were soon being ushered into a back room. Jamie spoke to who Dani could only assume was Akil. She had no idea what they were saying. She stayed close to Jamie and tried to be inconspicuous. After what looked like haggling, Jamie turned to Dani.

“I need to get some cash out of the backpack. Finally talked this bloke down to a reasonable amount. Bet he wouldn’t have tried that shite with Hannah.”

Dani smiled and turned around so Jamie could unzip the backpack on her back and get what she needed out of it. Jamie grabbed some cash and zipped the bag back up. Jamie gave Akil the money and he handed her two British passports. Jamie inspected them and scoffed.

Dani was worried. “Are they ok?”

“They’ll do. Let’s be on our way.”

Jamie thanked the man, or at least that’s what Dani assumed she was doing, and then they headed back out through the store. When they got back in the car, Jamie handed her the passports to look at.

“So, I’m British now?” Dani asked.

“Well, it does make it easier to get into _Britain_ that way, Poppins. How’s your British accent?”

“Got to keep things proper British, ‘aven’t we?” She said in her “best” accent.

“Oh no, Poppins, that’s awful! Maybe just don’t talk when we go through customs, yeah?”

Dani rolled her eyes and opened her passport. “Ok, first of all, that’s a terrible picture of me! I can’t believe MI5 sent them my DMV photo. Also, Pedretti does not at all sound British,” Dani complained.

“Yeah, well, at least you didn’t end up with two first names,” Jamie said.

Dani opened Jamie’s passport. “True. But, at least your picture’s good!” she protested.

Jamie laughed. “Well, don’t worry too much about your fake passport. As long as they get us home and keep us off Viola’s radar. She’ll be searching for any tickets purchased using our real names.”

Dani nodded. “To the airport now then?”

“To the airport,” Jamie confirmed. “It’s time to go home.”

They had a thirty minute drive to the airport. Dani held Jamie’s hand the whole way. Jamie loved that Dani did that. Even though she knew Dani was there with her, the physical reminder that she was okay was exactly what Jamie needed. For Dani, holding Jamie’s hand made her feel safe. She knew she should be more scared, given the situation they were in. But it was hard for Dani to feel scared about anything when she was with Jamie. Not only was Jamie her protector, but she brought out bravery in Dani that she didn’t know she had. She liked this new, bolder version of herself that she was with Jamie. As they got closer to the airport, Dani started thinking about what things would be like when they returned.

“Jamie, what happens when we get back?”

“What do you mean, Dani?” Jamie said, glancing over at her as they exited the freeway towards the airport.

“With us? With your job? With everything, really.”

“Well, I don’t know if I even have a job anymore.”

“Me either, actually,” Dani said, the thought just occurring to her. “And even if I did, I’m not sure that I would want to work for Henry again after what happened.”

“Can’t say I would blame you there, Poppins. Look, I don’t really know what happens next. All I know is that I hope you’re standing next to me.”

Dani smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be there. There’s nowhere else in this world I’d rather be than by your side. If we can figure all of this mess out, I’m sure we can figure the rest out. Right?”

Jamie smiled. “Right. We’ll do it together.”

“Together,” Dani repeated, loving the sound of it.

Jamie parked the SUV in long term parking, hoping it would be awhile before anyone noticed it. Although she was loathe to do it, she knew she had to leave all of her weapons behind. With her MI5 credentials having been revoked, she could no longer carry a gun on a plane. Dani looked nervous as she watched Jamie strip all the weapons from her body. Dani helped by removing the weapons in their shared bag.

“Make sure you get all the knives, too, Dani,” Jamie said.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Dani questioned. “Viola is still out there.”

“I don’t like it either, but I don’t see that we have any other options,” Jamie said, resigned to it.

Jamie also added a few supplies from the SUV to their bag, including a blanket and some extra snacks. _At least Peter was always good about buying the best snacks._

Once they got everything sorted, Jamie took Dani’s hand and they walked across the expansive parking lot to the airport terminal. Jamie tried to keep their pace slow, knowing that Dani’s leg was bothering her. She felt bad that Dani was still carrying their pack, but Jamie also knew she couldn’t with her shoulder being so sore. _We really are a busted up pair, aren’t we?_

When they entered the bustling terminal, Jamie immediately went to a screen to see the outbound flights. She just wanted the first flight out of Cairo. The next direct flight to London wasn’t for another four hours. _We may not have that long_. She saw a flight to Paris departing in one hour. _That will do._

They decided to go to the restroom before buying their tickets, both of them needing to freshen up a bit after spending the night in the car. As they stood in line at the ticketing counter, Dani looked up at the news on the TV screens. She couldn’t read most of it, as it was in Arabic, but her heart stopped when she saw photos of her and Jamie displayed on the screens. She gasped and pulled at Jamie’s sleeve.

“Jamie!” She said in a frantic whisper.

“What is it, Poppins?’ Jamie responded, immediately concerned.

Jamie pointed to the TV screens all over the airport. Their faces were everywhere.

“Shit!” Jamie whispered.

The screens switched over to English and Dani saw what the text said above their names: FUGITIVES. JAMIE TAYLOR AND DANIELLE CLAYTON. WANTED FOR MURDER. ARMED AND DANGEROUS.

People in the line started looking at them, pointing and whispering to one another.

Jamie took Dani by the elbow and whispered frantically in her ear. “We have to get out of here. Now. Try to play it cool. We don’t run until we have to.”

“How did this get out so quickly?” Dani asked, allowing Jamie to lead her out of the line and towards the exit.

“Viola,” Jamie replied. “She’s trying to keep us here, flush us out.”

“Jamie,” Dani said, panic rising. “People are looking at us.”

“HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!” It was an airport security agent.

“Shit, run!” Jamie said, taking Dani’s hand and pulling her along.

They made it out the front door of the airport terminal, only to see Viola Willoughby standing up from a bench.

“Well, that worked faster than even I hoped,” she said smugly, pointing a gun at them.

When other people saw the gun, it created chaos. Everyone started screaming and running. In the confusion, Jamie and Dani slipped into the crowd running towards the parking lot. An airport security guard was driving through the parking lot in a golf cart. Jamie couldn’t believe their luck.

“Hey! Help us!” She said, waving her arms to the guard. He stopped in front of them.

Before he could say anything, Jamie wrestled him to the ground and stole his gun.

“I’m sorry, mate,” she said. “Dani, get in the golf cart.”

Jamie kept the gun trained on the man until they were both in the cart and driving away. He was already on his radio calling for backup. They didn’t have long.

“What’s the plan here?!” Dani yelled.

“Still kind of working on it!”

BANG! BANG!

Jamie and Dani both glanced behind them. It was Viola. She had also commandeered a golf cart and was in pursuit, shooting at them.

“I reallllly hate her!” Jamie yelled.

Jamie floored the pedal, heading for the tarmac. She had an idea. _If we can just get to a cargo plane…_

“What can I do?!” Dani asked.

Jamie handed her the gun she had taken from the guard. “Fire back! If she had to dodge bullets, it will slow her down.”

“Got it!” 

Dani took the gun, turned around, and started firing.

_Oh shit, that’s hot,_ Jamie observed. _Also so not the time, Jamie._ She glanced over at Dani again, firing the gun. _Yep, still hot. Ok, stop looking at her. Drive!_

Jamie had steered them away from the commercial terminal of the airport and towards the cargo runways. She saw several cargo planes being loaded in the distance. The one closest to them looked like some kind of postal plane. _That’s it! That’s our escape plan!_

“I hit her tire!” Dani excitedly exclaimed next to her.

Jamie glanced in the side mirror. Sure enough, Viola’s car spun out of control, one tire blown out. She was forced to come to a stop.

“Woohoo!!! That’s my girl!!!” Jamie cheered. Dani beamed.

Jamie slowed down and drove them into the hanger where the crates were waiting to be loaded onto the plane. It was so noisy from the jet engines that no one seemed to noticed another golf cart enter the facility. Jamie saw Viola running down the tarmac after them. But thanks to Dani’s excellent marksmanship, they had a substantial head start.

“What do we do now?” Dani asked.

“We pick a crate and hide in it. Then we wait to get loaded in,” Jamie said, as if it was the most practical suggestion in all the world.

“Are you kidding me? We’re smuggling ourselves out of Egypt?!”

“You got a better plan?”

Dani rolled her eyes. “Life with you is very exciting, Jamie Taylor.”

Jamie led Dani around the hangar, ducking low behind the crates to avoid being seen. She wanted to find one that looked like it was about to be loaded on the plane carrying the mail. She found something that looked promising, a container large enough for both of them. She knew they needed to hurry before Viola caught up. She climbed up on a small crate and scooted the top of the larger container back. _Jackpot!_ Bags full of mail, with enough room for them to squeeze in.

“Come on, Dani. This is our ride,” she said, extending her hand down to Dani.

Dani didn’t need help climbing up, but she would never refuse Jamie’s hand. She took it and climbed up, peering into the container with Jamie. She took a deep breath. _This is going to be bad._

She turned to Jamie as she climbed into the container, tossing the backpack in first. “I hope you know how much I trust you.”

Jamie started climbing in next to her right as a bullet whizzed past her head.

“Shit! That was close!” She said, scrambling into the crate, almost falling on Dani in her haste.

Almost immediately, their container was being picked up by a forklift. Viola’s shooting had also attracted attention. Security was beginning to swarm around her, forcing her to retreat. She glanced back at Jamie and Dani, who were pulling the lid closed on their container. Dani forcefully flipped Viola off right before they closed it.

Jamie was cracking up. “Poppins! Did you just give the most notorious criminal in the world the middle finger?!”

“Yes, I did. I don’t like her at all,” Dani said matter of factly.

Jamie laughed again. “God, I love you, Poppins.”

Their crate shifted as it was being moved by the forklift, causing them to fall to one corner, cushioned by the mail bags. Jamie was sitting with her back against the wall of the crate and Dani slid down against her, between her legs. The only light they had was what was coming through the cracks in the wooden container. It was at this moment that Jamie remembered that Dani was claustrophobic _and_ had a fear of flying. _Oh shit._ Jamie wrapped her arms around Dani from behind and pulled her against herself. She could already feel Dani’s labored breathing. They were being hoisted up in the air now to be loaded on the plane.

“Shhhh, shhh,” Jamie whispered in her ear. “I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay.”

Jamie could feel Dani nod. Dani hands fumbled for Jamie’s in the dark. Jamie had one arm around Dani’s shoulder and the other around her stomach, holding her as secure as she could against herself. Dani’s hands found Jamie’s on her stomach and covered it with her own. 

“Just focus on me, yeah?” Jamie said, trying to keep her calm. She knew this initial wave of panic would be the worst. At least until take off. “Feel me under you? Feel how solid I am? Do you feel how tight I have you?”

“Yes,” Dani whispered.

“Good. Just focus on me holding you,” Jamie said, as she rested her chin on Dani’s shoulder.

Their container was pushed into place in the cargo hold of the plane. Jamie prayed nothing would be stacked on top of them. But with a crunch of top of them, she knew something else heavy had just been placed on top of their crate.

“Fuck,” she muttered.

Dani started shaking and hyperventilating. Even Jamie was feeling nervous at this point. From what she could tell, nothing was next to them on the right. If she needed to, she would kick this crate apart to help Dani get out.

“Dani, we’re not boxed in on all sides. I can get us out if we need to. No one will be in the cargo hold. No one will see us. Ok? I just need you to hold on a little longer. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes,” Dani said. “I’m sorry, Jamie.”

“Why?”

“For freaking out.”

“I’d kind of wonder if you weren’t, honestly. This is pretty damn disconcerting,” Jamie admitted.

“We’re lucky though, aren’t we?” Dani asked quietly. “To be getting away at all.”

“Damn lucky,” Jamie said. “And we wouldn’t have if you weren’t such a good shot.”

“I think it was just luck.”

“Don’t care. You saved us. If we had been caught by the authorities…” Jamie’s voice trailed off, considering all the terrible possibilities. Dani didn’t need her to finish her sentence to know what would have happened to them. No one would have come to their rescue. It would have been the end.

They heard the cargo doors close. They were plunged into darkness, the little bit of light they had coming through the cracks was gone. 

“Hey Dani, can you reach our backpack? I’ve got a torch in there.”

Dani fumbled around. Jamie had to loosen her hold on her a bit to give her enough room to reach, but she never broke contact with Dani. 

“Got it!” Dani said, pulling it closer to them.

Jamie took it from her and felt for the zipper, finding it and digging around a bit before she found what she was looking for.

“Aha!” She said, clicking on the flashlight.

Jamie could feel Dani breathe a little easier with the light on.

“Now, let’s see where we might be going,” Jamie said, reaching for one of the mail bags and opening it. 

“Do I even want to know?” Dani asked.

“Hmmm…. Well, how do you feel about Italy, Dani? Because that’s where all this mail is heading.”

“Italy?! How many hours away is that?!”

“Umm, maybe five or six hours, depending on where exactly we go. We could have done way worse than a plane to Italy though. At least we’re heading in the right direction.”

“And when we get there, what do we do? How do we get back to England?”

Jamie was thoughtful for a moment. “I imagine air travel is out of the question for us now, at least commercially, seeing as how we’re fugitives. Facial recognition would pick us up, even with the fake passports.”

“I can tell you right now that I am not getting in another shipping container,” Dani said firmly.

“We’ll take the train then. Security is not as strict. No facial recognition. Our passports don’t have our real names. We can pull it off.”

Dani was relieved. “I’m good with the train.”

“Good. It’s settled then.”

Just then the plane picked up speed. They were about to take off. Dani whimpered and curled into Jamie, who wrapped her arms tightly around her. Dani laid her head against Jamie’s chest and locked her arms around Jamie’s waist. When the plane lifted off, they shifted towards the back of the container. They had nothing to hold them in place other than the mail bags. They bounced around as the plane climbed into the air. Dani squeezed her eyes closed and clung to Jamie with everything she had. Jamie knew this had to be one of her worst nightmares. All she could do was hold on to her and whisper encouragement in her ear.

Once the plane leveled off, Dani’s grip on Jamie loosened, but she still stayed were she was.

“We made it,” Jamie said. “We’re getting the hell out of Egypt.”

“Do you think Viola will find us? When we land that is?” Dani asked.

“If she wasn’t caught at the airport, which I doubt she was, she might. She knows what plane we were loaded on. She could track us. We have a head start though. One problem at a time, remember?”

“Yeah,” Dani said. 

Jamie could tell that Dani was coming down from the worst of her panic attack. She knew she would probably be feeling worn out for a few more minutes, so Jamie just gently rubbed her back. She heard Dani hum against her chest.

“Does that feel good?” She asked.

“Yeah, it’s really soothing,” Dani confirmed. “Please don’t stop.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jamie said. She loved discovering little things like this that she could do to make Dani feel better. They still had so much to discover about each other “What else do you like, Dani?”

Dani considered the question for a moment, hesitating.

“You can tell me,” Jamie prompted.

“Well, I really like having my hair played with. But, Eddie said that was silly. He would never do it.”

“That fucker,” Jamie mumbled, reaching for Dani’s hair tie to take her hair out of its ponytail. “May I?” She asked.

“Only if you want to. You don’t have to just because I said that,” Dani said.

“I want to, Dani,” Jamie said with conviction. 

Jamie carefully removed the hair tie and slid it on her own wrist so it wouldn’t get lost. She then began gentled combing her fingers through Dani’s hair with one hand, while her other still held on to Dani. She alternated running her fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp. Dani was absolutely humming with contentment. Jamie was so relieved she found something to get Dani’s mind off of where they currently were.

“You’re really good at this, Jamie. Have you done this for a lot of girls?” She asked, suddenly concerned about the level of skill Jamie seemed to have.

“I’ve never done it for anyone before. And that’s the truth. This is just how you deserve to be touched.”

“Oh. And, uh, good. I didn’t want to be jealous,” Dani muttered.

“You have nothing to be jealous of, Dani. I’m your’s. All your’s. In fact, I think I always have been.”

“Me too,” Dani said. “It’s like all along there’s been some invisible string tying you to me.”

“Poppins? Did you just quote Taylor Swift to me?”

Dani replied sheepishly, “I didn’t think you would know.”

“You are so busted,” Jamie said, playfully tickling Dani’s side, earning a laugh from her. “Taylor Swift is a damn poet, that’s what she is. Thought you could just plagiarize her, did ya?”

Dani was full on giggling now as Jamie tickled her.

“Is it plagiarism if it’s verbal?” She asked between fits of laughter.

Jamie stopped tickling her. “Well, it’s cheeky, is what it is.”

“But I’m right,” Dani said, sneaking in a quick kiss.

“Are you going to win every argument by kissing me?” Jamie asked.

“I don’t know. Is it an effective tactic?” Dani teased.

“Very, very effective,” Jamie said. She couldn’t help but smile. Despite their crazy circumstance, their banter just felt so _good._

Dani nestled back against Jamie again and they fell into comfortable silence. Jamie began stroking Dani’s hair again, knowing now that she liked it. Dani absentmindedly took Jamie’s other hand in both of her’s and started gently massaging it. Dani loved Jamie’s hands. She marveled at how they could be so strong and so gentle at the same time.

“Do you mind? That I’m doing this, that is?” Dani asked, wanting to make sure it was something Jamie liked.

“I don’t mind at all. It feels really nice. Everything is just so sore, so that helps.”

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” Dani asked.

“I don’t think so. I just need time is all,” Jamie answered.

“If you want to get any sleep, I think I’m okay now. I won’t freak out unless we hit turbulence.”

“Yeah, I might take you up on that, Poppins. Hey, do you think you can get the blanket out of our bag?”

“Yeah, it is getting pretty cold in here,” Dani said, pulling out the blanket and draping it over both of them.

Jamie put Dani’s hair back in a ponytail for her. She couldn’t see Dani’s face, but she was smiling at the thoughtful gesture.

“You can lay on my shoulder, if you want,” Dani offered, shifting to Jamie’s side to make it possible.

Jamie didn’t answer, but she immediately snuggled up next to Dani, laying her head on her shoulder. Dani smiled and put her arm around Jamie, holding her close and softly running her thumb up and down her arm. She pulled the blanket up so it was covering all of Jamie.

“Comfortable?” Dani asked.

“Mmm hmm. Very.”

Dani placed a soft kiss to her head, and within minutes, Jamie was asleep. Dani wasn’t too far behind her, resting her head on top of Jamie’s and drifting off to sleep.

Dani woke up a couple of hours later to the sound of Jamie screaming her name.

“Dani! Dani!”

_She’s having a nightmare._

“Hey, hey, I’m right here,” Dani said softly, pulling Jamie closer.

Jamie looked up at her, eyes wide with fear, trying to process what was happening.

“You had a bad dream. You’re here with me. You’re safe.”

“Dani?”

“Yeah, I’m right here.”

“You’re okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you,” Dani said, taking Jamie’s hand and bringing it over her heart. “Feel that? I’m right here. I’m okay. You are too. It was just a dream.”

Jamie’s breathing slowed down as she let the beating of Dani’s heart calm her.

“I’m sorry, Dani. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, embarrassed.

“Hey, no sorry’s for nightmares, okay? I’m making that a new rule. Come here,” Dani said pulling Jamie closer to her just like Jamie had done for her earlier.

_Her nightmares are about losing me. My sweet, sweet Jamie._

Jamie allowed herself to be held, and she surprised both of them when she started crying.

“Hey, tell me what’s going on,” Dani said softly.

“I think it’s just all catching up to me. How scared I was that I was gonna lose you,” Jamie said, crying into Dani’s sweatshirt.

Dani wiped the tears from Jamie’s eyes. 

“I was scared of that, too. But we’re together now. And I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise?” Jamie asked faintly.

“I promise.”

Jamie stayed in Dani’s arms like that for a bit longer. It was a new feeling for her, being held by someone. She was surprised to discover that she rather liked it. It didn’t feel as scary or as vulnerable as she thought it would. She actually felt stronger for it, like she was drawing strength from Dani’s comfort. _I had it wrong all along. Dani was right. Love is not weakness. The extraordinary things I have done this week, they were done for love. Dani makes me stronger. She brings out the best in me._

Dani noticed Jamie smiling.

“Penny for your thoughts?” She asked.

“I’m just sitting here realizing you were right, Dani.”

“Oh yeah. About what?”

Jamie pulled back so she could look Dani in the eyes. “About all of it. But about love, mostly. Dani, you make me better. I had it all backwards before.”

Dani’s eyes brimmed with tears. She was so proud of Jamie, so happy for her, so glad she was brave enough to open her heart to her. But, she wasn’t sure how to say all of that, so instead, she decided to keep it simple.

“I love you,” Dani said, leaning in and giving Jamie a soft kiss.

Jamie savored the kiss, loving the taste of Dani on her lips. “I love you, too, Dani. More than I can put into words.”

“Then don’t use your words,” Dani suggested, leaning in for another kiss.

Dani held Jamie’s face in her hands, their foreheads resting together. 

“How long do you think we have left on this flight?” Dani asked, her voice low and husky.

Jamie easily followed her train of thought. “Probably at least another two or three hours.”

“Two or three hours of _uninterrupted_ time?”

“Aye. Did you have something in mind to pass the time?” Jamie asked, feigning innocence.

“I think you know I do. But Jamie, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything. I know you’re not feeling well.”

“I appreciate the concern, Dani, but I’m feeling much more _energetic_ after my little nap. I think I can survive whatever it is you have in mind. So, maybe you should tell me what that is, hmm?” She teased, raising her eyebrow.

“Well, you know, we were sort of interrupted this morning, and you did promise to finish what you started…”

“Hmmm… seems maybe I remember something about that…”

“Ugh, stop being such a tease, Jamie!”

“You sure about this?” Jamie asked, just wanting to check in with Dani like she had promised.

“Yes, I’m sure. But, umm, just to say this up front, I am NOT taking my clothes off in this disgusting shipping container.”

They both laughed. “I’m with you on that one! I don’t need anything else wrong with me, and this crate is filthy,” Jamie agreed. “I reckon we can still find plenty of ways to occupy ourselves though. What do you think, Poppins?”

“I agree. I think we can get… creative,” she said, quirking her eyebrow. “And umm, I think this would be easier for me, you know, as we work up to more.”

Jamie nodded, liking that this was something that was in Dani’s comfort zone. She wanted to be so careful not to take things faster than Dani was ready for. But, Dani also seemed _really_ ready do more, and Jamie was more than happy to oblige.

“Ok,” Jamie said, “So, clothes stay on. If something doesn’t feel right though or you don’t like something I do, you tell me to stop and I will. Immediately. No questions asked. Ok?”

“Deal. And same to you. Maybe we can just explore a bit, see what we both like and take it from there.”

“Yeah, that sounds perfect, Dani. And, I mean, we have plenty of time. We’re sort of stuck here.”

“Yeah, and I mean what else would we do, right?” Dani said. “And I’ve gotta be honest with you, I’ve been turned on all week by you.”

“Have you now? Let’s see if we can’t do something about that then,” Jamie said flirtatiously, leaning in to kiss Dani. Dani immediately deepened the kiss. _Yeah, she is not going to go slow,_ Jamie mused to herself. _She doesn’t know the meaning of the word._

Jamie moved to kissing Dani’s neck, sucking along her pulse point. Dani moaned, her fingers tangling in Jamie’s hair. Jamie went back to kissing Dani on the lips while her hands started working their way under her shirt, picking up where she had left off earlier that day. She cupped both of Dani’s breasts with her hands, never stopping kissing her. She gently squeezed them and Dani moaned into her lips, the sound driving Jamie crazy. She squeezed a little harder, kneading them. Dani could hardly focus on continuing to kiss Jamie, her kisses becoming erratic. Her body was in overdrive responding to Jamie’s touch.

“I need to touch you, too, Jamie. Please,” Dani said, already breathing heavy. “Is that okay?”

“More than okay,” Jamie said, her own body on fire from the thrill of touching Dani. 

Jamie felt Dani’s hands sneak up her shirt, raking her fingers along her abs before traveling higher. Jamie leaned into the contact, encouraging Dani to do more. Dani mirrored what Jamie was doing to her, overwhelmed by both touching Jamie and being touched by her at the same time. Jamie wanted to slip her hand under Dani’s bra, but she decided to save that for another time. That was beyond what they had agreed to. Although the sounds coming from Dani indicated that it probably would have been welcome had she done it. Jamie noticed Dani’s hips beginning to twitch. She didn’t want to leave Dani aching there for long, especially given the state she had been left in that morning. Jamie’s hand traveled down to the top of her waist band but then she stopped, hesitating. 

“Dani?”

“Why did you stop?”

“Can I touch you here?”

“Yes, I want you to. Don’t stop to ask me again. The answer is ‘yes’ to whatever you want to do,” Dani said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jamie said, chuckling. She noticed that Dani’s hands had stilled on her. “You just enjoy this, okay? You don’t have to do anything for me right now.”

“But what about you?” Dani whispered.

“Plenty of time for that still,” Jamie said, eager to explore Dani.

The anticipation of Jamie touching her was almost more than Dani could bear. She was wound so tight, her body aching to be touched. The pressure that had built in her almost hurt. When Jamie cupped her through her jeans, Dani gasped and pushed into her hand. It wasn’t enough though.

“Jamie,” she whimpered. “I need you closer.”

Jamie felt like she might come undone just hearing Dani say that, feeling a pressing ache building in her own center. She unbuttoned and unzipped Dani’s jeans, sliding her hand down over Dani’s underwear. Jamie could feel Dani’s wetness through it, increasing her own arousal. She ran her fingers along Dani, relishing how how she felt, exploring, seeing what got the best reactions. Dani was moaning in pleasure, her eyes closed.

“Jamie, please.”

Jamie knew Dani needed release and touched her exactly where she wanted, applying just the right amount of pressure. And that was all it took. Dani came screaming Jamie’s name. _Well, that didn’t take long_ , Jamie thought smugly, _I really did have her wound pretty tight._ Jamie kept stroking her until she had ridden out the last wave and became too sensitive to keep touching.

Jamie kissed Dani while she removed her hand. “You okay?”

“Umm yeah, that was incredible. I’m, uh, sorry I was so fast though. It usually takes me longer than that.”

Jamie smiled. “You were perfect. And, who’s to say that you’re only going to have the one orgasm on this flight?”

Dani kissed her hard in response. She was so in love with this woman. Jamie moaned in frustration and Dani realized Jamie was probably in the same state she was just in.

“Let me help with that,” Dani said in her ear, sending shivers down Jamie’s spine.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Jamie said, not wanting to pressure her, but also really hoping Dani wanted to. If not, she was going to be _very_ uncomfortable for the rest of the flight.

“I’ve never wanted to do anything more,” Dani said, sliding her hand down Jamie’s pants and finding a wetness there that more than matched her own.

“Wow, I guess you were only pretending to play it cool this whole time, huh?” Dani said, smirking.

“Truth’s out now, I guess,” Jamie said, panting. 

Dani smiled, clearly proud of herself for having this effect on her.

To Jamie, Dani felt unbelievably good touching her. Her fingers were not as sure as Jamie’s, but it all still felt amazing to her. Because this was Dani Clayton touching her. And that’s all that mattered. She let Dani experiment with different strokes and pressure, allowing both Dani’s confidence and her own heat to build. When Dani started moving her fingers in a circular motion, Jamie came completely undone. Dani held her as she came down, stroking her through her aftershocks like she had done for her. When she finally removed her hand, Jamie whimpered from the loss of contact. 

“Don’t worry,” Dani whispered in her ear, “We still have a few hours left, remember?”

Jamie growled in her ear and they launched into round two. An hour later, they were both completely spent, huge grins on their faces.

“Did I fulfill my promise to you well enough, Poppins?” Jamie asked, teasing.

“Yeah, about five times over, I’d say,” Dani replied appreciatively. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”

Jamie smirked. “And, just think, that was only the beginning.”

“You’re incredible, Jamie. I have never felt the things I just did,” Dani said, in awe.

“Me too, Dani. That was already the best sex of my life and we haven’t even had proper sex yet. Lord, I don’t know if I’ll survive it,” Jamie joked.

“Me either. I can’t even process that right now. Good thing we’re working up to that,” Dani agreed, “I may spontaneously combust,” she said giggling, nuzzling into Jamie. “Hey, how’s your shoulder?”

“I think I’m cured. Don’t feel anything but good right now,” Jamie replied.

Dani snickered. “Glad to hear it.”

“Whew, I think we need to raid Peter’s snack supply now. I’m famished.” Jamie said.

“Good idea,” Dani said, grabbing some chips, candy bars, granola bars, and bottled water out of the backpack.

They ate in relative silence, both glancing at each other and smiling. In fact, neither of them could stop smiling.

“Best plane ride of my life,” Dani finally said. And they both laughed.

They cuddled and talked the rest of the way until the plane began to descend. Jamie kicked out one of the wood panels to create their escape once they landed. She didn’t want to risk them literally getting boxed in in a warehouse. They then packed up their items and Jamie turned the flashlight off. The batteries were beginning to die anyway. She held Dani close again, but Dani didn’t seem as scared. She was too busy replaying the last few hours in her mind.

“When we land, Poppins, we get out of here and run out when no one is looking, ok?”

“I’ll just follow your lead.”

They touched down a few minutes later, the sudden impact sending them forward. But they held on to each other and the plane came to a safe stop. Jamie crawled out of the hole she made in the container and then helped Dani out. Dani placed a quick kiss on Jamie’s lips once they were standing.

“You’ve gotten a lot better with your plane distractions,” she said, winking.

“Have I now?” Jamie asked, unable to stop smiling.

They crouched behind their container as the cargo hold door opened, flooding the plane with light. They both blinked rapidly, their eyes trying to adjust to the brightness.

They heard someone yelling in Italian. Of course, Jamie understood.

“They said they are going to get their forklift. Let’s go!” Jamie said, grabbing Dani’s hand. 

They ran down the exit ramp, ducking behind the wheels to avoid being seen by the men getting ready to unload the plane. They walked as casually as they could across the tarmac towards an unattended luggage cart. They got in and drove away, trying to act like they weren’t doing anything suspicious.

Jamie drove them to the front of the airport, where they abandoned the cart. No one seemed to question them or even bothered to look at them. Jamie looked up at the airport to see where exactly they were. 

“Welcome to Venice, Poppins,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, was that okay or should I stick to blowing shit up? Honestly, please tell me.


	14. The Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Jamie hailed a cab at the airport and held the door open for Dani to get in first. Dani smiled at her as she ducked into the car. Jamie’s heart fluttered every time she did that. Jamie climbed in right after her and asked the driver in Italian to take them to the train station. He informed her it would be a 20 minute ride. Jamie leaned back into her seat and was pleasantly surprised when Dani scooted over to the middle seat to sit right next to her. She looped her arm through Jamie’s and Jamie couldn’t help but smile.

“What is it?” Dani asked quietly.

“I’ll tell you later.”

Jamie was thinking about how lucky she was to be with Dani. She was thinking about how she loved that Dani always stayed so close to her, needing to be in constant contact with her. She needed it, too. She was thinking that she was so surprised that Dani did not shy away from showing her affection in public. Jamie would have assumed Dani would have held back, that maybe she would have been embarrassed. But here she was, holding on tightly to her in the backseat of the cab, not caring if the driver noticed or was bothered by it. _Yeah, I could definitely get used to all of this_ , Jamie thought. _I am the luckiest person in the whole world._ Dani spent the car ride looking out the window; Jamie spent the car ride looking at Dani. Dani’s eyes were full of wonder for the world outside.

“We’ll come back,” Jamie whispered to her. “When all this is over, we’ll come back. So you can see everything properly.”

Dani looked over at Jamie and rewarded her with a huge smile. “I’d love that.”

The cab dropped them off at the train station. Jamie thanked the man and paid him. She then got out of the cab and immediately turned around to offer her hand to Dani. Dani laced her fingers through Jamie’s and they walked in to the train station. Jamie looked at the upcoming departures and frowned.

“Seems there are no direct trains to London from here,” Jamie explained. “But, if I’m reading this right, we can take an overnight train to Paris. It’s about a 16 hour trip. And, then from there, it’s a pretty quick trip to London. About two hours give or take. That ok with you, Poppins?”

“Yeah, whatever you think is best. When does the train leave?”

“Next one doesn’t leave for another two hours, I’m afraid.”

“That’s okay,” Dani said, “maybe that will give us a chance to get something to eat. I’m starving for a real meal.”

“You and me both. Let’s go purchase our tickets first,” Jamie said.

Jamie didn’t let go of Dani’s hand until she had to to buy their tickets. Of course, she spoke in Italian to the ticketing agent. Dani was getting used to not understanding anything that was going on. She was starting to wonder just how many languages Jamie spoke. She made a mental note to ask her later. Jamie handed the ticketing agent their passports and Dani held her breath. It turned out she didn’t need to worry, as they passed the agent’s cursory inspection. A few minutes later, Jamie smiled as she triumphantly held up their tickets.

“Got us the last sleeper compartment on the train. Spent a little extra for it. Didn’t think you would mind,” she said, grinning.

“Did you now?” Dani said, raising one eyebrow.

Jamie smirked. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off me for 16 hours sitting next to me in a regular seat.”

“Pretty sure I wouldn’t have been the only one of us struggling with that arrangement,” Dani whispered directly in Jamie’s ear as they walked away from the ticketing counter.

Jamie blushed. “Fair point, yeah.”

Jamie led Dani in the direction of one of the gift shops in the train terminal.

“Let’s get a few items,” she suggested to Dani. “We have looked and smelled better.”

“Yeah, not a bad idea at all,” Dani agreed.

They picked up some toiletries and replenished their snacks. Jamie also picked out two baseball caps for them to wear to help conceal their identities, just in case. They then headed for the restroom to clean up as much as they could. They both felt better once they had washed their faces and brushed their teeth.

After that, they headed to the food court in the terminal. 

“What do you fancy, Dani?” Jamie asked.

“Oh my gosh, I could eat a whole pizza myself.”

Jamie smiled. “Pizza it is then.”

They each got their own pizza and found a table. They were starving, barely speaking to each other while they inhaled their dinner. 

“This is the best pizza I have ever had in my life,” Dani declared. “I’m stuffed.”

“Me too,” Jamie said, still chewing a mouthful of food.

When they couldn’t eat any more, Dani boxed up their leftovers, telling Jamie that they could finish it on the train later. They had about 45 minutes until their train was scheduled to depart, so they decided to walk over to their gate and wait for the rest of the time. Jamie selected seats where their backs would be against the wall and she had a good view of all their exits. She was worried that Viola had time to catch up to them. Dani had the same fear. When they sat down, Dani once again scooted as close to Jamie as possible. This time, Jamie put her arm around her, hugging her close. Dani smiled and laid her head on Jamie’s good shoulder.

“I love that you do this,” Jamie confessed.

“Do what?”

“Always sit so close to me. I fucking love it.”

Dani laughed. “Yeah, I like it, too. It’s why I do it. I feel like I can never be close enough to you.”

“I understand what you mean,” Jamie said, running her hand up and down Dani’s arm. Dani’s hand came to rest on Jamie’s thigh, lightly rubbing little circles on it with her thumb.

“Hey Jamie?” Dani asked quietly.

“Yeah, Dani?”

“If you weren’t an MI5 agent, what would you do? Like, if you could do anything in the world, what would it be?”

Jamie immediately knew her answer. She’d thought about it many times. But still, she was hesitant to say it out loud. Dani picked up on her apprehension.

“You know you can tell me? I won’t laugh or think it’s weird or anything. I honestly want to know, Jamie,” she said sincerely.

“Ok, well, truth of the matter is, I’d open up a flower shop.”

Dani sat up to look at her. “Jamie! That would be amazing!”

Relief washed across Jamie’s face. “Yeah? You really think so?”

“I really think so! What would you call it?” She asked enthusiastically.

Jamie bit her bottom lip, nervous to say any more even though Dani had reacted with such encouragement.

“C’mon, tell me” Dani prompted.

“Yeah, it’d be called The Leafling.”

Dani smiled. “The Leafling,” she said, repeating it. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

Jamie beamed. “Yeah?”

“Yes. I think it’s brilliant. Just like you,” she said, giving Jamie a kiss on the cheek to drive her point home.

Jamie placed a kiss on Dani’s temple as she settled back against her again. It was so strange and wonderful, being able to share any and everything with someone else. Jamie stared down at the blonde in her arms. _She’s my whole world._

“What are you thinking about, Jamie?”

Jamie chuckled. “I’m thinking that I’m _reallllly_ glad I was assigned to you and not Henry. I’m thinking about how lucky I am.”

“You really feel that way? Even with all the bad stuff that’s happened?”

“I do, yeah.”

“Me too,” Dani said softly, and Jamie placed another kiss on the top of her head.

They spent the rest of the time people watching or sitting in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s company. Finally, it was time to board their train. They waited in line, tickets and passports in hand. When they had to get in a single file line, Dani stood in front and Jamie put her hands on her shoulders, massaging them a little as they walked forward. 

“I love it when you do this,” Dani said, leaning back to talk to Jamie.

“What exactly?”

“Touch me in some kind of protective way, like you are right now. It just makes me feel really warm and happy,” Dani confessed.

“Oh, well, in that case, I’ll never stop,” Jamie said, pleased with herself. She hadn’t even realized she’d been doing it. It was something that she had started doing so naturally.

It was finally their turn in the line and both of them were relieved when, once again, their passports worked and they were being ushered onto the train.

“I’ve never been on a train before,” Dani said back to Jamie. “Where do we go?”

“Just keep going straight. Our compartment should be towards the middle.”

They walked through car after car. Dani marveled at how long the train was. Finally, they reached their number and Dani opened the door to their compartment.

“Oh wow! This is tiny!” She exclaimed. “Jamie! You didn’t tell me there would be _bunk beds!_ ” She said, clearly not happy with this revelation.

The “room” consisted of two narrow bunk beds built into the wall, a small bathroom, a window, and a narrow aisle to walk through.

“Well, still bigger than the box we spent last night in,” Jamie said.

“True,” Dani admitted. “It is a big step up from what we’re used to these days. But, if you think I’m going to spend the night _not_ touching you…”

“I know, I know, Dani. We’ll figure it out,” Jamie said, laughing at how scandalized Dani was thinking that she might have to spend one night not in the same bed as her. “I guess it’s good that we’re both so small. We can probably make it work.”

“There’s no probably about it, Jamie. I don’t care if you have to sleep on top of me.”

“Certainly wouldn’t be the worst way for me to spend my night,” she said, smirking at her.

“So, what all is there to do on these trains?” Dani asked, curious. “Can we explore it a bit once it leaves the station? I’ve just never been on one before.”

Jamie found her enthusiasm for everything adorable. “Yeah, there’s not much but we can certainly have a look around. You saw a lot of the passenger seating as we came in, then there’s the sleepers, and then most of the interesting stuff is in the back, like the restaurant and bar. Once it gets dark out, people mostly just sleep on these trains.”

“And is that what you’re hoping to do on this train?” Dani asked seductively.

“Not the whole time, no,” Jamie said. “Might be there are other things I’d find more interesting.”

“Hmmm, really?’ Dani said. “I can be _very_ interesting.”

“Oh, I know…”

Dani sat down on the bed and Jamie joined her.

“How long before we leave, do you think?” Dani asked.

Jamie glanced at her watch. “Maybe another 30 minutes. Sounds like they are still loading everyone on.” They could hear people constantly walking past their compartment, which made them both feel a little jumpy. “I don’t really like staying still like this.”

“Me either,” Dani said. “I’ll feel better once we’re on our way. I feel like I can’t relax yet.”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” Jamie replied, bringing her hand to Dani’s back and gently rubbing it. “Is this okay though? For me to do this? It helps for me to keep my hands busy when I feel kind of pent up like this.”

“Yeah, that’s always going to be okay. I appreciate you checking in so much though. I haven’t had that before.”

“What do you mean?”

“Umm with Eddie, you know, he just sort of assumed everything was welcomed. He just did what he wanted. You know, we’d known each other so long that I guess we were just comfortable. So, if he wanted to touch me somewhere, he did. He didn’t ask what felt good or what I liked, not like you do.”

Jamie furrowed her brow, considering this new information. She didn’t like it. “I won’t ever do that, Dani. I promise you that. You never have to do something you don’t want to do. We might be together, but that doesn’t mean you owe me anything. And I only want to touch you in ways that make you feel good.”

“I know. It’s already so different with you, Jamie. There’s just no comparison. It’s not even a worry with you. You’re always so concerned with how I’m feeling. It’s such a new feeling for me. But, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I trust you. And every time you touch me, no matter where it is, I feel like there’s this electric current shooting through my body. Like, even if it’s just our shoulders brushing, it feels incredible. Is it the same for you?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly. Every time,” Jamie confirmed.

Dani smiled. “I’m really glad you feel it, too. So, all this to say, you have my permission and consent to touch me without asking every time, ok? And, if by chance I don’t like something, which I don’t think would happen, I promise to let you know.”

Jamie smiled, recognizing the trust that was being placed in her. “Thank you, Dani. This means a lot to me. And I will say the same to you. I’m your’s. All of me. I trust you with my body. But, more importantly, I trust you with my heart.”

Dani’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh Jamie, that’s the best gift you could ever give me.” She pulled Jamie into a tight hug. “Thank you for trusting me. Your heart is safe with me, just like I know mine is with you.”

“Always,” Jamie whispered back, completely overcome with emotion.

The train started moving, but they just kept holding each other, whispering “I love you’s” into each other’s ears.

When they finally pulled away, Dani got up to look out the window. They only had maybe an hour or so of daylight left, and she wanted to see at least a little of Italy while she could. Jamie got up to stand behind her, wrapping her arms around Dani. She stopped herself from asking if it was ok first, knowing that Dani had already told her it was. She liked this, how natural everything felt with Dani. Dani rested her hands over Jamie’s and leaned back into her. Neither of them knew how long they stood that way, watching the countryside fly by.

“Want to go walk around a bit?” Jamie asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Dani responded.

They exited their compartment, locking the door behind them. Jamie took Dani by the hand and led her through the train, stopping when they got to the restaurant car. 

“What would you like, Dani?” Jamie asked. “Coffee? Tea? They have some food options, too.”

“I’m still full from the pizza, but a coffee would be great,” Dani replied. She saw the beautiful scenery through the large windows in the car. “Hey, I’m just going to go look out the window over there, ok?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll get our drinks and be right over.”

“Perfect,” Dani said, giving Jamie a quick kiss.

Dani went over by the window at the far side of the car, standing among other people also trying to take in the countryside before the sun went down. All of a sudden she felt something pressed into her back and a voice whisper into her ear.

“That’s right, that’s a gun. Make any move, make any sound, and I start shooting the people in this car. You’re going to come with me quietly and no one will get hurt. Nod if you understand.”

_Viola. She’s found us._

Dani felt the icy grip of fear wrap its tendrils around her. She gave a quick nod, sparing a glance towards Jamie before being led to the next car by Viola. Jamie was paying for their drinks and was unaware of the situation that was unfolding. _I’m sorry, Jamie. I know you’re going to panic in about 30 seconds when you can’t find me._

Viola led Dani further and further back into the train, only stopping when they got to the last car. It was used for excess luggage and was unoccupied. Dani was finally allowed to turn around and look at Viola. She realized Viola had been hiding the gun in her jacket, so no one could have known what was really happening to Dani. Being face to face with her again was terrifying. She could see the rage swirling in Viola’s eyes, yet she appeared calm and in control on the surface.

“How long do you think before your precious Jamie joins us?” Viola asked, sneering. She pulled out a knife. “We can’t get started without her.”

“Not long,” Dani replied. “And she’s going to kill you.”

* * *

Jamie had her tea and Dani’s coffee in hand and headed towards the window to join her girlfriend. She couldn’t see her immediately, but there were several people in the area, all of whom were taller than Dani. But, when Jamie got to the window, there was no Dani. She quickly glanced around the rest of the car. No Dani anywhere. Panic started to build. _Dani, where are you?_ For a second, Jamie thought maybe she had just wandered off. _No, she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t do that to me. She wouldn’t make me worry. No, something’s happened._

“Excuse me?” Jamie said to the people around her. “Did you all see a blonde here a minute ago? She was just here. Wearing a gray hoodie.”

“Yeah, I saw her,” a man said. “She went that way.” He pointed towards the next car back.

“Thank you,” Jamie said quickly. “Was she alone?”

“No, she left with another woman. Looked like she’d seen a ghost.”

“Thank you,” Jamie said, as she handed him their drinks and sprinted towards the next car.

_Viola! Viola has Dani._

Jamie had no weapons and no plan. All she knew is that she needed to be wherever Dani was. She ran through car after car, knowing she wouldn’t find them until she got to the last one. Viola wouldn’t want a crowd. She made that mistake at the airport; it wouldn’t happen again. Jamie burst through the door of the last car and skidded to a stop. There was Dani. Viola was standing behind her. Viola had one arm wrapped around Dani’s shoulders and the other held a knife to her throat. _No!_

“There you are, dear. Took you long enough to join us,” Viola said. Jamie took a step forward. “That’s quite far enough,” Viola warned, pressing the knife further into Dani’s skin, nicking her. 

Dani winced as the blood trickled down her neck. She could see the fear in Jamie’s eyes.

“No!’ Jamie screamed. “Don’t you dare hurt her!”

“Oh, Jamie,” Viola said calmly. “I’m going to hurt her. And you’re going to watch. You’re unarmed. You know you can’t get to me faster than I can cut her throat. So, you’re going to stay right there while the three of us have a little chat. And then I’m going to cut your girlfriend up in front you… right before I kill you.”

Jamie clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fists. She was so angry, so scared. But, she knew that Viola was right. She couldn’t do anything without risking Dani. She was stuck, her mind spinning, trying to find a way out of this nightmarish scenario. She looked at Dani, expecting to see her own fear mirrored in Dani’s eyes. But she didn’t. Instead, Dani looked… calm? _What’s she so fucking calm for?!_

Viola continued, “Before we get started, I just have one question, and I want the two of you to answer me honestly. Which one of you killed Peter? Because I am very, _very_ cross about that.”

Jamie locked eyes with Dani. Dani met her gaze and winked, trying to communicate with Jamie the only way she could. _Stay back, Jamie. Don’t do anything. I’ve got this._

“It was you, wasn’t it, Taylor? You killed Peter. You always hated him,” Viola accused.

Jamie was silent, putting all her faith and trust in Dani.

“It was me, you bitch,” Dani said, as she twisted Viola’s arm down in front of her, shifted her hips back, and yanked Viola up off the ground. With her shoulder injured where Jamie had stabbed her, Viola put up little resistance. In one smooth motion, Dani flipped Viola over her, slamming her down on her back. The knife clattered as it fell and slid across the floor.

“I did it!” Dani exclaimed.

Jamie couldn’t help but smile. _That’s hands down the sexiest thing I have ever seen._ Jamie motioned with her hands for Dani to quickly come over to her side. Dani stepped around Viola, who was already getting up and ran to Jamie’s side.

Jamie threw a protective arm around Dani. “You were great, Dani. I’m so proud,” she said quickly in her ear.

“Jamie, she has a gun!” Dani warned.

Viola drew her gun as she stood up, firing towards them. Jamie pulled Dani behind a stack of luggage. She could hear Viola advancing on them. “Stay down, Dani,” she said quietly.

Jamie ran from behind their hiding place and charged Viola head on. She crashed into her as they both struggled for the gun, which was firing wildly. Jamie pushed Viola against the wall, grabbed her by the wrist and shoved her hand repeatedly against the wall until she dropped the gun. Viola kneed Jamie as hard as she could in the midsection and head butted her, sending Jamie stumbling backwards and giving her a chance to escape. Viola grabbed her gun from where it had fallen and pointed it at Jamie, who was doubled over in pain on the floor.

“Noooooooooo!” Dani screamed, running from behind her hiding place and throwing her body over Jamie’s to shield her.

Viola pulled the trigger. 

_CLICK._

“Shit!” Viola exclaimed, realizing she had used up all of her ammo in the struggle. She took off running for the door at the back of the car, opening it and heading outside.

“Jamie! Are you okay?” Dani asked, her voice full with concern.

“That was really dumb, Dani. Why would you do that?” Jamie said, standing back up. But there was no criticism in her voice, only a mixture of fear and love.

Dani ignored the question, knowing that Jamie already knew the answer. Jamie would have done the same thing. She placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Go get her, Jamie.”

“You stay here,” Jamie instructed as she marched towards the door in pursuit of Viola.

“Like hell I am,” Dani muttered, following her a minute later.

The wind whipped Jamie’s hair as soon as she stepped outside. The train was moving fast, but luckily, it had slowed down to traverse the winding path through the mountains. Jamie climbed the ladder from the caboose up to the roof of the train. She could see Viola running in the distance. She could just make out her silhouette in the dimming light. Jamie sprang up and ran after her, struggling to maintain her balance on the moving train. She didn’t look back to notice Dani following her.

“VIOLA!” Jamie screamed, catching up to her. “LET’S END THIS! RIGHT NOW!”

Viola had been running ahead, trying to find a hatch in the train to escape back down into. She heard Jamie calling after her. She stopped and turned to face her.

Jamie stopped running when Viola turned around and began purposefully striding towards her. Jamie leaned into the the wind that buffeted her around and moved to meet Viola. She noticed that they were approaching a long bridge, a river far below them. She fought back a wave of nausea. These were less than ideal fighting conditions. If Viola shared her hesitations, she didn’t show it. Viola charged towards Jamie, screaming. Neither of them had weapons but both were skilled hand to hand combatants. They both blocked and parried each other’s strikes, neither able to gain the upper hand and both of them fighting the elements of the wind and the moving train beneath them. 

Dani watched in horror from three train cars back. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She just knew that she had to get to Jamie. She had to help her. She noticed the bridge in the distance and gulped. _Why does it always have to be heights?!_ She kept moving forward.

Viola landed a couple of hits to Jamie’s abdomen. She was wearing Jamie down and she knew it. Jamie realized if she didn’t end the fight soon, she would lose. A week’s worth of battles had taken their toll on her. She crouched down quickly and used a circle kick to knock Viola’s legs out from under her. It took Viola by surprise and she fell on the slick metal of the train car, sliding to the edge. Viola’s hand floundered, looking for anything she could grab on to. Her hand found Jamie’s ankle and she grabbed it, pulling Jamie down with her.

Jamie fell on top of Viola, both of them trying to find something to hold on to while still fighting each other. They slid dangerously close to the edge of the speeding train. The front of the train was already on the bridge.

“Viola,” Jamie said, attempting to appeal to her. “If we don’t stop this now, we are both falling off this train.”

“As long as I take you with me,” Viola spat.

Jamie made another effort to get to her feet. She made it to her knees before Viola started grabbing for her again. They were crossing the bridge over the ravine now. Jamie tried not to look down. She saw a handle a few feet away. If she could just grab on to that. But Viola wouldn’t let her go. She was determined. Jamie kicked wildly with her legs, trying to shake her. She finally made contact with Viola’s face, the force sending Viola flying off the train car. As she went over, plummeting to the river below, Viola grabbed Jamie’s ankle once last time, dragging Jamie down with her.

And Jamie fell.

Her hands flailed but there was nothing to hold on to. She squeezed her eyes closed, resigned to her fate. _It will be over in seconds. I’m so sorry, Dani. At least I made you safe again. I love you._

And then something stopped her fall. Jamie’s arm was being yanked, halting her fall.

“Gotcha!”

Jamie looked up to see the most beautiful sight in the world.

“Dani!”

Dani had dove for Jamie at the last second, holding onto the handle with one hand and Jamie hanging off the side of the train with the other. Neither Viola or Jamie had even been aware of her approach. Jamie couldn’t process it. She couldn’t figure out how Dani had gotten to her in time. All she knew was that she was alive.

“Hold on! I’m going to pull you up!” Dani yelled. She tried not to think about how she was facing a 200 foot drop to the river below, tried not to think about Jamie’s legs dangling over the abyss, tried not to think about the wind tearing at them, tried not to think about her hand slipping on the handle she was holding. Dani looked directly into Jamie’s eyes and started curling her up with her arm.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Dani yelled, straining to lift Jamie’s dead weight.

Once she started lifting her, Jamie swung her other arm up and reached for Dani, grabbing her wherever she could and trying to help hoist herself up. After a few agonizing seconds, Dani finally pulled Jamie back on to the top of the train car, rolling her over on top of herself. Jamie collapsed on top of her in exhaustion. Dani still gripped the handle with one hand, her other across Jamie’s back, holding her tight against her body. They were both trying to catch their breath.

“Thank you, Dani,” Jamie finally managed to say.

“I would never let you fall,” Dani said, raising her head up to kiss Jamie.

Jamie returned the kiss and smiled. “Let’s get back inside,” she said, rolling off Dani and standing up. She offered her hand and Dani grabbed it and stood up. Her legs were shaking.

“You don’t have to tell me twice. I think this might actually be worse than the shipping container.”

They slowly made their way back to the ladder at the end of the train, holding tightly to each other for balance the whole way. Jamie let Dani climb down first. Dani waited for her at the bottom of the ladder, spotting her as she climbed down. Jamie open the door and they both stepped back into the safety of the inside of the train. As soon as the door was closed and the sound of the wind was silenced, Dani launched herself into Jamie’s arms, hugging her fiercely.

“I’m ok, Dani. I’m ok. Thanks to you,” Jamie said, squeezing her back. 

“Jamie, you’re shaking,” Dani observed.

“So are you,” Jamie countered. “That was pretty fucking scary, even for me.”

“Is it over now?” Dani asked.

“Yeah, it is. It’s over now. We’re safe, Poppins. We’re finally safe.”

Jamie pulled back from the hug to look at Dani. “You know, I’m not sure who saved who more on this trip. You’re amazing, Dani. You’re the strongest person I know.”

“We save each other. I think it’s what we do,” Dani replied. “And it just so happens that you are the strongest person I know, too. My hero.“

They met in the middle in a kiss, which spoke more than their mere words could. It was a kiss of gratefulness, of awe, of promise, of security, of mutual respect. But mostly, it was a kiss of love.

“Want to head back to our room?” Dani asked, when they finally broke away.

“Yeah, I do. But, do you mind if we stop at the bar on the way?”

“Not at all. I think we’ve both earned a drink,” Dani said, laughing.

Jamie touched Dani’s neck where Viola had cut her. “And then we tend to this.” She brought Dani’s ponytail around to the front to help hide the blood. She didn’t want them to draw any attention.

“It’s not as bad as it probably looks,” Dani replied.

“Regardless, when we get back to the room, you’re going to let me take care of it.”

“Yeah, ok,” Dani said, looping her arm through Jamie’s as they walked.

They stopped at the bar on their way back and bought a couple of beers to take back to their room. When they were back in their room with the door locked behind them, they felt like they could finally breathe again. Jamie popped open their beers.

“Cheers, Poppins. To not dying.”

Dani clinked her bottle to Jamie’s. “To living.”

They both smiled and took a sip. They were still trying to process the events that had just unfolded.

“Take a seat, Dani. Let me have a look at your neck,” Jamie directed.

Dani sat on the bed while Jamie pulled out some supplies from their backpack. She cradled Dani’s face in her left hand while she used her right to clean and bandage the cut. Dani leaned into her touch, her eyes closed. Jamie marveled at how responsive Dani always was to her touch. She was putty in her hands.

“All done,” she declared. “I hope now maybe we can stop having to patch each other up, yeah?”

“Me too. Jamie, are you okay? She hit you pretty hard.”

“I’ve added a few more bruises to my tally, I think. I already felt like hell, so I don’t really know that I feel any worse.”

“So, not okay then?”

“Decidedly not, no. But I hope that was my last fight for awhile.”

“Me too. I hate seeing you get hurt,” Dani said sadly.

“I’ll be okay, Poppins,” Jamie said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss for reassurance. She picked her beer back up and sat down next to Dani. They both sat in silence, neither sure what to say or do next, trying to process the fact that for the first time since they met, there was no longer a target on their backs.

“Jamie?’ Dani asked tentatively.

“Yeah?” Jamie asked, suddenly concerned.

“It is just me or has the whole week just been a lot to process? I feel like my mind is racing.”

“It’s not just you, no. Viola, Peter, Rebecca, they’re all dead. And we’re safe now. But I feel like we still need to keep running, keeping looking over our shoulders. It’s hard to slow down.”

“Exactly. My mind feels like it’s trying to catch up,” Dani said, glad Jamie was feeling the same.

“We can talk about it, if you want,” Jamie offered.

Dani was quiet for a moment, considering her options. “Actually, would it be okay with you if maybe we just held each other for awhile?” She said quietly, afraid that Jamie would think the suggestion was silly.

Jamie put her beer down. “I think that’s exactly what we need to help us calm down. And Dani, please don’t ever feel nervous, asking for what you need from me.”

“Thanks,” Dani said, only somewhat surprised Jamie had picked up on her hesitation. Not much got past Jamie, she was discovering.

They both scooted back on the bed to lean against the wall and folded their arms around each other, holding on as tightly as they could. They didn’t speak much, but there was a silent understanding between them. They both knew how much they almost lost. Jamie brought her hand up to Dani’s hair, gently playing with it how she now knew she liked. Dani melted into her touch.

“Honestly, Jamie, that is the best thing. You have no idea.”

“I’m glad,” Jamie said softly. 

“Do you like it, too?” Dani asked. “Having your hair played with?”

“I don’t really know,” Jamie answered.

“You don’t know?” Dani asked, confused.

“No one’s ever done it for me before. I don’t know if I like it or not,” Jamie admitted.

Dani sat up straighter and scooted back. “What?!”

“I’ve never had anyone who wanted to touch me or care for me in that way,” Jamie said sadly, not making eye contact with Dani.

“Ok, well, that’s changing right now, Jamie,” Dani said decisively. “You do have someone now. We’re going to discover everything that you like.” Dani grabbed the pillow from the top of the bed and placed it in her lap. “Go ahead, lay down. You’re getting the full treatment.”

Jamie knew better than to argue and she was secretly thrilled by what Dani was suggesting. She laid down on her side and put her head in Dani’s lap, curling into her. Dani ran her fingers through Jamie’s wind-blown hair, gently working out the tangles as she went. With skilled fingers, she massaged Jamie’s head and scalp. She could hear Jamie practically cooing.

“So, what do you think?” Dani asked. “Is this okay?”

“Oh my god, Dani, this is the best thing ever,” Jamie replied, feeling the stress melt out of her body with every touch from Dani.

“See, I told you!” Dani said, quite pleased with herself.

“Please keep going,” Jamie said.

Dani was more than happy to continue. She eventually moved one hand to Jamie’s back, lightly scratching with her nails.

“Is that okay? Light enough?” She asked, checking in.

“Yeah, just don’t push too hard. My back is one big bruise. But yeah, what you’re doing right now feels amazing.”

“Good,” Dani said, continuing. 

Jamie felt like a puddle by the time Dani was done with her. She’d never felt so relaxed. She finally sat back up. “Yeah, that’s one of those things you can just do anytime you want,” she said happily.

“Noted,” Dani said smugly.

Jamie yawned.

“You ready for bed?” Dani asked.

“I think so, Poppins. I’m beat.”

“Me too. So, how’s this going to work?”

“You tell me. You’re the one insisting that we both fit in a twin bed.”

“Oh? So would you like the top bunk or would you like me to go up there?” Dani asked sarcastically.

“I think if we both lay on our sides we should fit fine,” Jamie replied quickly.

“That’s what I thought,” Dani said smugly. “You don’t want to sleep in a separate bed either.”

“No, never,” Jamie said sincerely.

They turned down the covers and climbed in. With Dani spooning Jamie, they just barely fit. Dani placed little kisses along Jamie’s neck and threw her leg over Jamie’s, pulling her impossibly close. Jamie hummed her approval of this sleeping arrangement.

“Liking the twin bed better now?” Dani whispered in her ear.

“It has its perks,” Jamie said coyly.

They drifted off into one of the most restful sleeps they’d had all week. They didn’t wake up until the sun came up, bathing the room in light. Jamie glanced at her watch. They had about two hours before they were due to arrive in Paris. She could feel Dani stirring behind her.

“Good morning,” she whispered back to her.

“Mornin,” came the groggy reply. “Did you sleep ok?”

“I did. Feeling a bit stiff, but otherwise ok,” Jamie said. “What about you?”

“Mmmhmm. I dreamed about you.”

“Did you now?” Jamie asked, her curiosity piqued. “And what were we doing in this dream of your’s?”

“Allllllll kinds of things,” Dani said sleepily.

“You’re adorable,” Jamie said, rolling over to face Dani and placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

Dani pulled her in and kissed her, slowly at first, but then open mouthed and needy.

Jamie was quickly out of breath. “Are we really going to start every morning like this?” She asked.

“I hope so,” Dani replied, pulling her back in for another kiss.

“I can’t wait till we have a proper bed to do this in,” Jamie said, trying not to fall off the side of the bed.

Dani paused for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked. “Why did you stop?”

“I just realized that, if I quit my job, I’m homeless. I don’t actually have a bed.” She laid back down on the bed, staring straight up, suddenly very concerned.

Jamie laughed and moved to straddle her. “Poppins, look at me. You have a bed. It’s my bed. When we get back, you can stay with me. In my flat. I mean, that is, if you want to,” Jamie said, starting out confident and then worrying that maybe that was too much. Maybe Dani didn’t want that.

But Dani’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Jamie was relieved. “Really.”

“I’d like that,” Dani said, leaning up to resume kissing Jamie.

“Thank fuck,” Jamie muttered, meeting Dani’s kisses.

They kissed this way, rolling around in the tiny bed, hands wandering over each other’s bodies for some time. Jamie thought that was all they would be doing this particular morning, but then she felt Dani start to roll her hips against her. Jamie was discovering that Dani was insatiable. Not wanting to make Dani have to ask for more, Jamie slipped her hand down Dani’s pants and began stroking her, now knowing exactly how Dani liked it. She loved how sensitive Dani was to even the slightest touch.

“Thank you,” Dani mumbled, pushing into Jamie’s hand. 

“Try not to scream,” Jamie said a few minutes later, as she pushed in just the right spot, feeling Dani shake under her.

Dani moaned loudly into Jamie’s shoulder, hoping not to be heard through the thin walls. Jamie chuckled. “Yeah, I really can’t wait until we can do this properly.”

Before Jamie could say anything else, Dani was working on her. Everything Dani did made Jamie feel so good. She would never be able to get enough of this. Dani was rubbing her hard, having discovered the previous day that Jamie liked a lot of pressure, more than Dani did. Jamie realized as she was thrusting into Dani’s hand, seeking even more friction, that she was likely just as insatiable as Dani. _Quite a pair we are_ , she thought as Dani sent her over the edge, a string of profanities spewing from her mouth.

“Jamie! I thought we were trying to be quiet,” Dani joked, shocked, and somewhat proud, by Jamie’s outburst.

“Holy shit, Poppins, you got the hang of that fast,” Jamie said, suddenly exhausted.

Dani smiled and laid down on top of Jamie. “When we get back to London, I think I’m ready to move on to more.”

“Yeah, yeah, we can definitely do that,” Jamie said, still coming down from her high.

An hour later they were disembarking from the train in Paris, having to almost immediately catch another train to London. They were finally in the home stretch. Jamie held Dani’s hand, leading her through the train terminal. They only had a 15 minute wait before they could board. Dani noticed that Jamie was reading all of the signs… in French.

“Ok Jamie, I have to know, exactly _how_ many languages do you speak?!”

Jamie grinned. “Well, let’s see, other than English of course, there’s French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, and Arabic. I can read Latin, too. Never quite got the hang of Mandarin though.”

Dani just stared at her, mouth open. “You really are perfect, you know that, right?”

“Hardly, Poppins.”

They boarded the train and found their seats. It looked like a plane to Dani and she had to remind herself that they would be staying on the ground. Jamie had warned her about the Chunnel though, worried it might make her feel anxious going underwater. They took their seats. Dani took the window seat. Jamie wanted the aisle to ward off any attackers. Dani didn’t think there would be any attackers, but she humored Jamie and let her play the role of protector. She knew Jamie loved it, making Dani feel safe the way only she could. Dani was thankful it was only a two hour trip. They had been on the run for days and it was exhausting. She was also so excited about the prospect of going _home_ to Jamie’s place. Just the thought of it made her feel warm all over.

She looked over and realized that Jamie was staring at her. 

“You looked lost in thought, Poppins.”

“Yeah, I’m just thinking about you, honestly, About how special you are. About how I must be the luckiest girl in the world that you are taking me home with you.”

Jamie blushed. “Nah, I’m the lucky one,” she said, leaning over to place a soft kiss on Dani’s lips.

“Mmmm,” Dani said, “And that will be amazing every time.”

“I never want to take it for granted,” Jamie said. 

“Me either,” Dani agreed.

The train rolled out of the station a few minutes later. Jamie could tell that Dani had wanted to see more of Paris.

“We’ll come back here, too, Dani. We have so much time together.”

“I love you so much,” Dani replied.

“I love you, too,” Jamie said.

Dani leaned against the window and held her arm out, in case Jamie wanted to lean against her. Jamie scooted right over and snuggled in next to Dani, curling her legs up on the seat and getting as close as she could.

“So, since you completed your mission and basically dismantled an entire terrorist organization, do you think Hannah will give you your job back?” Dani asked. “I mean, I think she should.”

“I don’t know, Dani. She might.”

“You sound like it doesn’t matter to you,” Dani observed.

“I’m not sure that it does, at least not like it used to.”

Dani was quiet for a minute, but Jamie continued. “One day at a time, right, Poppins? I’ll sort it out when we get there.”

Dani held Jamie the rest of the trip, both of them sleeping off and on. Jamie was relieved when Dani slept through the part under the English Channel. When the train pulled into the station in London, Jamie couldn’t believe they’d honestly made it. Jamie and Dani exited the train, hand in hand, laughing. 

They weren’t expecting to see Hannah and Owen waiting for them on the platform...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the last one. It will be posted tomorrow!


	15. The End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we made it. This is the last chapter. I really hope you all enjoy it and feel like it’s a natural conclusion for these characters. I hope this ending feels earned. And, before we get started, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you. Your comments, enthusiasm, and encouragement have meant the world to me. I’m so glad you all were willing to give this story a chance and go on this wild ride together. :)

“Jamie! Dani!” Owen exclaimed, waving at them.

“What are you all doing here?” Jamie asked as she and Dani walked up to them. “How did you know we’d be here?”

Owen pulled her into a tight hug.

“Ouch! Ease up, mate. It’s been a rough couple of days for me,” Jamie said, still returning the hug.

“Sorry!” He said, giving Dani a gentle hug next. “I’m just so relieved to see you both alive.”

Hannah was smiling at them. “I’m so happy to see you. Truly. And as to how we knew you’d be here, let’s just say you have left quite the trail of bodies and stolen vehicles. You were not hard to track. We picked up your fake passports when you scanned them in Italy and traced your route here. Although, how you two actually got to Italy is, admittedly, still a bit of a mystery to us.”

Jamie looked down at her shoes. “And, uh, I guess you’ve seen the news?”

“Oh, you mean the part about you two being wanted fugitives?” Hannah asked. “Oh yes, we’ve seen that. We’re already taking care of it.”

“Appreciate that,” Jamie said. “So, uh, what happens next?”

Sensing that Jamie was nervous, Dani curled her hand around Jamie’s arm, offering her a physical reminder of her support. She thought it would also be neutral enough in case Jamie didn’t want Hannah to know about them. What Dani really wanted to do was hold her hand.

“Well,” Hannah began. “I think what happens right now is you two need to head to the hospital. We’ll take you there. No offense, but you both look like hell. After that, you will go home and get some rest. In the morning, you will come into HQ to debrief me on your exploits. Both of you. Taylor, you involved a civilian in MI5 operations. I’m sorry, Ms. Clayton, but I’ll need to speak with you, too.”

“Yes, Director,” Jamie said, feeling that was pretty fair given her current rogue status.

“Yes, ma’am,” Dani said.

“Oh, and Ms. Clayton, should we call Mr. Wingrave to have you picked up and returned to Bly this evening?”

“Uh, no ma’am, that won’t be necessary,” Dani replied quickly.

Hannah raised an eyebrow and looked at Owen. “I see.”

Jamie and Dani followed Hannah and Owen to their car. Jamie shocked Dani by reaching for her hand. Dani’s eyes snapped to her’s, questioning if Jamie really wanted to do that. Jamie just shrugged and squeezed Dani’s hand. Dani walked with a little more confidence, knowing that Jamie wasn’t afraid of who knew about them. Dani would have been willing to keep their relationship a secret to protect Jamie’s job.

Once at the hospital, the nurses tried to put Jamie and Dani in different rooms. 

“That’s not going to work. We stay together,” Jamie informed them.

“I’m sure you understand that, for patient privacy reasons, you need to be separate. Unless you’re family—“ the nurse stated.

“Yes, you can consider us family,” Jamie said. “Hannah? A little help here?”

Hannah flashed her credentials to the nurse. “They stay together… apparently.”

Jamie nodded and mouthed “thank you” to Hannah as she and Dani were taken to a room together. Hannah and Owen waited in the lobby. Owen placed his hand out, looking at her expectantly. Hannah reached into her purse, producing 50 pounds and placing it in his hand. He smirked, pocketing the money.

“I told you! I knew it!” Owen exclaimed.

Hannah was in disbelief. “I can’t believe Agent Jamie Taylor actually fell in love.”

A couple of hours later, Jamie and Dani were discharged with new stitches and practically a pharmacy of medication between them. They walked over to Hannah and Owen.

“I am happy to report that we are both going to live,” Jamie told them, triumphantly.

“It’s because you’re too mean to kill,” Owen teased.

“Dani doesn’t think I’m mean, Owen,” Jamie countered. “She likes me, in fact.”

“Well, Dani’s an American. I’m not sure her opinion counts,” Owen said, winking at Dani.

“Hey!” Dani exclaimed in mock offense.

Hannah shook her head but couldn’t hide her smile. “Let’s get you all home. And Dani, where will we be taking you?”

Dani looked to Jamie for help. “She’ll be coming home with me, so you can drop us off together,” Jamie said matter of factly.

Hannah looked at Jamie. “We’ll discuss _this_ in the morning.”

Twenty minutes later, Jamie and Dani were walking into Jamie’s flat. It was just like Dani had pictured it. Neat and clean with plants everywhere. Dani walked around, looking at everything, in awe that she was here. In Jamie’s apartment. In Jamie’s life. Jamie just watched her take it all in.

“I mean, I know it’s not much, but it’s home, ya know?”

“Oh Jamie, it’s lovely,” Dani said. “Just like you.”

Dani walked past the kitchen table and saw the file with her name on it. She held it up to Jamie. 

“Yeah, that already feels like a lifetime ago,” Jamie said, remembering how she felt when she first saw Dani’s photo. She never would have thought that a week and a half later Dani Clayton would be standing in her flat. _Living_ in her flat.

Dani went to the bedroom and smiled. “So glad we’re back to having just one bed,” she said, winking.

“Sure you don’t want me to take the couch?” Jamie teased, reflecting back on their first conversation on the topic.

Dani laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. I never wanted you to take the couch, even then.”

Jamie smiled and walked over to Dani, taking her face in her hands. She place a soft kiss on her lips. “I’m so glad you’re here, Dani.”

“Me too.”

Dani explored the rest of the flat, a thought occurring to her. “So Jamie? I just realized that all my stuff is still at Bly.”

“Yeah, I thought about that on the way over, actually. I’ll take you tomorrow to get your things, if you want. In the meantime, you can use my things. I’m sure I have some clothes that will fit you. We’re about the same size.”

“Thanks, Jamie. That would be great. And, are you sure you don’t mind taking me? I’d also like to say goodbye to Miles and Flora.”

“‘Course I don’t mind, Poppins. I’d like to give Henry a piece of my mind while we’re there.”

“Jamie!” Dani said, in a warning tone. “If you come, you have to promise to behave.”

“Fine. I’ll behave,” she begrudgingly agreed. 

Dani rolled her eyes. “Hey, do you mind if I take a shower? I feel disgusting.”

“Sure,” Jamie replied. “I’ll get some clean clothes together for you while you do that. Feel free to use all my shower stuff. Everything you need should be in there.”

“Thank you,” Dani said, heading to the bathroom and closing the door.

Jamie rifled through her clothes, looking for something that Dani would be comfortable in. Not sure what to pick, she decided that sweatpants and a T-shirt would be fine for lounging. Dani could pick something else out tomorrow to wear to MI5. Jamie could hear the shower running, so she opened the door to lay the clothes on the counter, letting Dani know what she was doing.

“Thanks!” Dani called from the shower.

When Dani emerged from the bathroom, fresh and clean, she saw Jamie watering her plants. She watched her for a moment, smiling as Jamie talked to each plant, apologizing to them for neglecting them for so long.

“How long have you been watching me, Poppins?” Jamie asked, not turning to look at Dani but feeling her eyes on her.

“Long enough to confirm that you are the most adorable person on Earth.”

Jamie scoffed. “Don’t be calling me adorable at MI5 tomorrow, ya hear?”

“All your secrets are safe with me,” Dani replied.

“Ok, my turn for the shower. I can hardly stand myself,” Jamie said, heading for the bathroom. “Please make yourself at home. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Dani curled up on the couch and turned the TV on, feeling completely at peace for the first time in a long time, maybe forever. She felt so at home here, surrounded by everything Jamie. She sighed and sunk deeper into the couch, pulling a blanket down over her. It smelled like Jamie and she breathed it in. Jamie joined her about 15 minutes later. Dani’s eyes lit up when she saw her.

“Did you miss me, Poppins?” Jamie asked, noticing the reaction.

“Yeah, I did,” Dani answered honestly.

Jamie plopped down next to Dani on the couch, picking up the corner of the blanket and joining her under it. “I feel so much better now. Dani, when was the last time we even showered?” Jamie asked, disgusted.

“I don’t think we want to do that math,” Dani said. “And to think, you still liked sleeping in that twin bed with me last night.”

“I reckon we smelled the same,” Jamie said, laughing. “But yeah, I’d sleep next to you no matter what. I think I’ve got it pretty bad for you.”

“Good to know,” Dani said, beaming. “It just so happens I have it bad for you, too. You drive me crazy in all the best ways.”

“Do I now?” Jamie said, smirking. She leaned over to kiss Dani. 

They kissed for a few minutes, the TV softly playing in the background. “It’s so nice to have a proper couch to kiss you on,” Jamie declared. “No more fucking shipping containers, or tiny train cars, or cheap motels, or the back of a stolen SUV.”

“Wow, when you say it like that, it sounds kind of bad,” Dani observed.

“We’ve had a hell of a week, Poppins.”

“We sure have,” Dani agreed. “But there’s no one I would have rather been with than you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, and you know that’s true,” Dani said, kissing her again. 

“Mmm,” Jamie said, savoring the kiss. She glanced at the time. “Hey Dani, you fancy some dinner? I’m getting pretty hungry. I could make us something.”

“That sounds great, Jamie. And, maybe after dinner, you can show me what we do in a ‘proper bed’ since you’ve been going on about that all week,” she said, using air quotes.

Jamie’s eyes darkened. “Oh, Dani, I would like nothing more.”

Jamie made pasta for dinner and they ate it on the couch while watching a movie. It felt so normal and good to both of them. They both felt like they could get _really_ used to it. They talked a little bit as they ate, but there was something in particular that had been on Jamie’s mind.

“So, when are you going to take me home to meet your mum?” Jamie asked.

“Is that something you’ve actually been thinking about?” Dani asked, surprised.

“Yes, honestly, it has been. I’m already nervous about it, Poppins. What if she doesn’t like me?” Jamie asked earnestly.

Dani snickered. “Oh, I can tell you right now she’s _not_ going to like you.”

“What?! Why?!” Jamie asked, distressed.

“Because you don’t have a penis and your name isn’t Edmund. It’s as simple as that.”

Jamie sputtered. “Ok well, nothing I can do about that then,” she said, resigned.

“Don’t worry about it. All that matters is what I think about you. And I think you are the most amazing, incredible, kind, loving, smart, badass person on the planet. I couldn’t care less what she thinks. But yes, I’m sure at some point you’ll meet her. I apologize in advance.”

“That bad, huh?”

“You’ll long for the good ‘ole days fighting Viola on top of the train,” Dani said.

Jamie gulped. “I need a beer.” She got up and went to the kitchen, also handing Dani a beer when she sat back down.

They both took a few sips. “So, what happens tomorrow? At MI5 that is?” Dani asked.

Jamie sighed. “Just tell Hannah the truth. I don’t want you to hide anything.”

“You’re okay with her knowing about us?” Dani asked, getting straight to the most important point.

“Yeah, I made a decision while we were on the second train. I’m not going to hide you. I’m not going to pretend like we are not _us_. I won’t live like that. I’m proud to be with you and I don’t care who knows it. Do you, I mean, do you feel the same?”

“Of course I feel the same, Jamie! But, I hope you know that I will do whatever we need to do to protect your job. I know how much it means to you. I will do whatever you need.”

“I just need you to be my girlfriend and my best friend. Everything else will fall into place on its own,” Jamie said simply.

“I can do that. So, you’re not worried about what’s going to happen then?”

“No, I’m really not. Because you’ll be there with me. That’s all I really need, when it comes down to it. If you’re with me, I know I will be ok.”

“I’ll be right there at your side,” Dani confirmed. “Always.”

“Thank you,” Jamie said sincerely.

They sat in silence and finished watching the movie, cuddling the entire time. When it was over, Dani looked over at Jamie expectantly.

“So, about that bed?” Dani prompted.

Jamie laughed and leaned over to pick Dani up. Dani shrieked. “Jamie! What are you doing?!”

“Taking you to bed, Dani, what else?”

They both laughed as Jamie carried Dani to the bedroom, setting her down carefully on the edge of the bed.

“Are you sure about this?” Jamie asked.

“I’ve never been more sure about anything,” Dani confirmed, standing up to kiss Jamie.

Jamie’s hands reaching for the hem of Dani’s shirt while they kissed and gave it a little tug. She felt Dani nod and began lifting it up. They only broke their kiss when Jamie pulled the shirt over Dani’s head. Dani immediately did the same with Jamie’s shirt, and Jamie felt a thrill shoot through her body when Dani’s fingers grazed her bare skin. Dani noticed the scars over Jamie’s torso, souvenirs from battles long past and more recent. Jamie suddenly felt very self-conscious.

“I’m sorry, Dani. I, uh, know I’m not great to look at,” she said, embarrassed.

“Oh, Jamie,” Dani responded, full of love. “You are beautiful. Every inch of you. These scars tell the story of you, and everything about you is beautiful to me.”

Jamie’s eyes brimmed with tears as Dani began placing gentle kisses over every scar. The unconditional love she was being shown was overwhelming. When Dani was satisfied that she had kissed every inch, she captured Jamie’s lips again in a searing kiss. Jamie thought it might have actually been the best kiss of her life. It was the kiss of someone who had fully seen her and still loved and wanted her. She felt her insecurities fall away, and she knew in that moment that Dani would never run away from her. Dani would never reject her for anything she had done in her past. Dani only knew how to love her.

Dani tugged at Jamie’s waistband. “Off,” she whispered. The way she said it sent a wave of arousal through Jamie’s body. Jamie quickly kicked her own pants off and then tugged at Dani’s. She was suddenly very thankful she had given Dani sweatpants to wear; they slid off easily. They were both standing in nothing but their bras and underwear, taking a moment to appreciate each other. Despite all of the times they had touched each other in the past few days, this was their first time actually _seeing_ each other. 

“God, you’re beautiful, Dani.”

“So are you,” Dani said, taking Jamie’s hand and leading her to the bed. She was shaking slightly.

“Dani? You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m— I’m fine. I just, umm, need you to take the lead.”

Jamie needed no further encouragement. She directed Dani to lie down and Jamie hovered over top of her, kissing her roughly. She fumbled at Dani’s bra and Dani sat up so Jamie could unhook it and pull it off. Dani reached behind Jamie and did the same, her breath hitching at the sight of Jamie’s breasts above her. They tangled up in one another in a flurry of exploration— kissing, nipping, sucking— neither had experienced anything like it. When Jamie felt like Dani was ready for more, she hooked her thumb through her underwear. She glanced up at Dani once more for confirmation.

“Please,” Dani whimpered.

Jamie pulled her underwear off and slipped her hand between Dani’s legs, more than pleased with the wetness she was greeted with there.

“All this for me?” She asked Dani, slowly circling her fingers lightly around Dani’s already swollen clit.

“Mmmhmm,” was all Dani could say between moans.

Jamie continued like this, slowing building Dani up. She had learned over the past couple of days just how sensitive Dani was and she wanted to draw the process out as long as possible. 

“Jamie?” Dani asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Yes?” Jamie asked, kissing along Dani’s jaw while lightly rubbing Dani.

“I want you _inside_ of me. Please.”

Jamie did not hesitate. She slipped one finger in and Dani sighed, loving the feeling of being full of _Jamie._ Jamie began slowly moving in and out, Dani meeting her thrusts. She added a second finger and enjoyed the satisfied moan it elicited from Dani. Jamie made sure the heel of her hand hit Dani’s clit with every thrust. Dani had never experienced anything that felt so good.

“Wait… Jamie,” she said suddenly.

Jamie’s hand stilled inside Dani, suddenly afraid she had done something wrong.

‘I want us to do this together,” Dani said. “I want this to be about both of us, not just me. _Please_. Can we do this together?”

Jamie nodded. “Ok.” She felt overwhelmed that someone was also considering her pleasure. That had never been the case before. She removed her fingers from Dani long enough for Dani to remove her underwear.

“That’s better,” Dani said, her voice tight. It occurred to Jamie how much self-control this was taking for Dani. She knew Dani had been close when she asked Jamie to stop. Dani never ceased to amaze her. The way she loved Jamie was so selfless. Jamie wanted to love her the same way in return, always putting Dani’s needs above her own.

Jamie slipped her fingers back inside Dani, earning a loud moan from her. 

“Slow,” Dani cautioned her and Jamie understood. Dani was holding back, trying to give her time to catch up.

Dani’s own fingers moved to Jamie, gasping when she felt Jamie’s wetness. She could tell that Jamie was more than ready. She gently massaged Jamie’s clit, drawing circles around it, building up to more direct pressure. She was amazed how Jamie’s body responded so quickly to her touch. Jamie’s appreciative moans almost sent Dani right over the edge.

“Ready?” Dani whispered to her.

“Yes,” she managed to say back. 

Dani slipped one finger in and began pumping slowly, trying to find a rhythm.

“Like this?” She asked Jamie, hoping she was doing it right.

“More,” Jamie groaned, panting.

Dani added a second finger and increased her speed, thrusting harder and faster into Jamie. She hoped Jamie was close because she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on with Jamie’s fingers still working inside of her. The combination of touching Jamie and being touched by her was intoxicating.

“Jamie….” She pleaded. She couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Yeah, I’m close, too, Dani,” Jamie managed to say. She was as overwhelmed as Dani. She couldn’t believe how good Dani felt inside of her.

“Let go,” Jamie whispered in Dani’s ear.

Jamie pumped faster and curled her fingers inside Dani, hitting the spot that she knew would send Dani crashing over the edge. Dani screamed Jamie’s name as she curled her own fingers inside Jamie, following her lead. She pressed into Jamie’s clit at the same time with the palm of her hand. The combination shattered Jamie and she came along with Dani, shaking with the intensity of it all and calling Dani’s name. She’d never experienced anything like it. They held on to each other as they rode through the aftershocks, stroking each other gently through each spasm until they were totally spent. 

When they finally removed their fingers, they both missed the feeling of fullness from the other. Dani laid her head on Jamie’s chest, both of them still shaking and trying to catch their breath.

“Holy shit,” Jamie said.

“Holy shit,” Dani concurred. “That was… incredible.”

“I’ve never… not like that… wow,” Jamie replied.

“Yeah? That good?” Dani asked, surprised.

“The best,” Jamie confirmed.

“For me, too,” Dani said, nuzzling into to Jamie.

“That’s the power of a proper bed, right there,” Jamie stated.

“You weren’t wrong,” Dani agreed, in awe of the experience they just shared. “Although, I think _you_ also had something to do with it for me, too, not just the bed,” she added, smirking.

Jamie smiled. “There’s still lots more for me to show you, too.”

“I honestly can’t wait to experience it all with you,” Dani said, feeling so content.

Jamie put her arms around Dani, caressing her smooth skin. After a few moments, they were both sound asleep.

They woke up to the alarm the next morning, both having slept peacefully through the night. Jamie muttered some unintelligible profanities at the alarm clock as she reached to turn it off. Her movement woke up Dani, who was still sleeping with her head on Jamie’s chest.

“Is it time to get up?” Dani asked sleepily.

“Unfortunately, it is. Big day today,” Jamie said, not wanting to move, savoring the feeling of Dani’s naked body clinging to her’s.

“I wish we could stay in this bed forever,” Dani mumbled.

“Me too, but I promise it will be here when we get back,” Jamie said, running her fingers through Dani’s hair and brushing the hair out of her eyes. Dani sighed in contentment.

“Last night was perfect,” she said.

“It was for me, too,” Jamie agreed. “You were amazing.”

Dani loved the praise, especially since she had been so nervous about it. She knew she could only get better, too.

“So were you,” Dani said, looking up at Jamie, earning a big smile from her.

Reluctantly, Dani began to sit up. “I should probably go take a shower.”

Jamie had an idea. “Do you want company?” She asked.

“What?”

“In the shower. Do you want company?” Jamie repeated.

Dani’s eyes got wide with excitement. “Is that an option?!”

“It can be, yeah, if you want it to be.”

“Then why are you still laying there?” Dani asked. “Let’s go!”

Jamie laughed and followed after Dani, loving her enthusiasm for everything.

An hour and a half later, they were sitting in the conference room at MI5 across from Hannah and Owen. It struck Jamie that the last time she had been in this room was when she first saw Dani Clayton’s face on the screen. She smiled at the memory, having no idea at the time how the blonde was about to wreck her life. All for the better though. 

Hannah was in the middle of giving Jamie a lecture about disobeying orders, as well as tallying up the death count from their adventure. Jamie had her hands clasped in front of her on the table. Dani had her hand on Jamie’s knee under the table. It was all that was helping to keep Jamie calm. She was nervous.

“53 bodies, Jamie. That’s how many you racked up on your unsanctioned mission,” Hannah said.

“Actually, one of those was mine,” Dani interjected sweetly. “So Jamie should really only be blamed for 52 of them.”

Owen’s eyebrows shot up, intrigued.

Jamie chimed in. “Yeah, Dani here gets the credit for Peter Quint.”

Neither Hannah or Owen could hide their shock.

“Oh, well done, Dani,” Owen finally said, sounding proud. “Maybe we should recruit _you._ ” Hannah shot him a warning glance. Dani laughed awkwardly.

“And who hit the poor man whose motorcycle you stole?” Hannah asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. “Because he definitely filed a complaint.”

“Oh, that was me, too,” Dani said in her most innocent voice, raising her hand slightly as she claimed the credit.

Jamie snickered.

“I can see why you like her,” Owen said to Jamie, winking.

“And the airport security guard?” Hannah asked.

Jamie raised her hand. “Yep, that one was actually me.”

Hannah put her head in her hands, realizing what a mess the entire situation was.

“Perhaps you two better start at the beginning,” Hannah prompted. 

Jamie and Dani recounted the tale of their adventure, leaving out the more _personal_ aspects of it. Owen was blatantly on the edge of his seat, hanging on every word. Hannah tried to keep a professional demeanor but even she got caught up in it all. Jamie had always been an excellent storyteller. When they were done, Hannah leaned back in her chair, absorbing all the information.

“So, it seems that the two of you destabilized a terrorist organization, cutting off its leadership _and_ exposing a mole within MI5. And, you did it all while managing to stay alive despite having no resources and backup. You did create a bit of a bureaucratic mess for us with Egypt, but we should have that cleared up by the end of the day. We will make it all go away. I know I should be furious with you, Taylor. You disobeyed a direct order and placed the integrity of this agency in question. But, with the results you produced, all I can do is commend you.”

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. There would not be consequences for her actions.

“There is the small matter though, Taylor, of the relationship you seem to have developed with Ms. Clayton here.”

Dani squeezed Jamie’s knee under the table. They had been expecting this.

Hannah continued, “You know you broke protocol, taking advantage of someone who was placed in your care. It violates our professional ethics. Had you met in some other way, perhaps it would have been different, but—”

“Excuse me,” Dani said, interrupting. “I was in no way taken advantage of. I want to be very clear on that. Your agent saved my life, repeatedly, under impossible circumstances. I was the one who initiated things between us. And that’s the truth. I won’t apologize for it either.”

“I’m not asking you to, dear,” Hannah said softly. “If you’ll allow me to continue, I don’t like that this developed in this way. It could raise questions. _But_ neither of you would have made it home without the other. I am happy that Agent Taylor has found happiness with you, Dani. I think she’s more than earned it.” Hannah looked at Jamie warmly and smiled.

Jamie was shocked that Hannah had handled everything so graciously.

Hannah continued, “ Jamie, I’d like to invite you back to MI5. And, I’d like to promote you. You are the best agent we’ve ever had.”

She slid Jamie’s new credentials and sidearm across the table, offering her a place in the organization again. Jamie looked at what Hannah was offering, her heart full. She was overwhelmed and relieved and grateful. However, her mind was already made up and this would not change anything. She reached across the table and slid the items back to Hannah, who looked up at her questioningly. She realized that Owen and Dani were also staring at her in shock.

“I appreciate that, Hannah, I really do. You’ve been more than generous with me today. But, I’ve already made my decision. I’m leaving MI5. I’ll always appreciate everything you’ve done for me, everything you’ve taught me. I’m the person I am today because of both of you,” Jamie said, looking to both Hannah and Owen.

“Jamie? What are you doing?” Dani whispered next to her.

Jamie moved her hand to cover Dani’s on her knee and continued. “You see, I’ve realized something. I want more out of my life. This job used to be everything to me; it used to _be_ my life. But, there’s something I want more now,” she said, looking over at Dani.

“Jamie, I don’t want you to give this up for me,” Dani said earnestly. “You can have _both.”_

“I know, Dani, and I appreciate that. It’s not about choosing you over my job. I know you would never ask me to do that. It’s about what I want. For maybe the first time in my life, I’m choosing my own path. I’m tired of fighting. I’ve been fighting my whole life. I’m ready for some peace. I want a life of peace… with you.”

Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes. Hannah stood up and offered her hand to Jamie. Jamie stood up and shook it.

“Thank you for your service, Agent Taylor,” Hannah said. “I wish you all the best. And, we’ll always be your family, no matter what.”

Jamie nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She turned to Dani and Owen. “Would you all mind giving us a moment?”

Owen and Dani left quietly, waiting outside the conference room.

“I’m sorry,” Dani said to him. “I know you’ll miss her. I didn’t know she was going to do that today.”

“Oh, I will miss her, but Dani, you have made her so happy. And I will be forever grateful to you for that. I’ve always worried about Jamie. But now, now I’m not worried anymore. I know she’s going to be okay. Because she has you.”

“I promise to take good care of her,” Dani said seriously.

“I know you will,” Owen said, pulling her into a hug. “I know you will.”

In the conference room , Jamie was hugging Hannah, thanking her for all the ways she had helped her over the years. Hannah’s support meant everything to her. 

“I hope I haven’t disappointed you,” Jamie said, looking down.

“Oh Jamie, you could never disappoint me. Granted, you scared the hell out of me with this little stunt you pulled in Egypt. But, I knew if anyone could make it out alive, it was you. No, I’m not disappointed in you. You’ve chosen love, and that is a noble path. I know you will give this relationship 110%, just like you have tackled everything else in your life. You are going to make Dani so happy. I hope she knows what a treasure you are.”

Jamie smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to react to the praise. “I think she does, yeah. I just want to make her as happy as she makes me. I want to thank you, Hannah. You’ve given me a life… twice over now. All those years ago when you recruited me… and again today… by letting me go.”

Hannah pulled Jamie into a hug. “Jamie, I have always cared more about you as a person than as an agent, I hope you know that. Go live your life. You can do anything. And, if you ever want to return, there will always be a place for you here.”

Jamie wiped the tears from her eyes. Before she turned to leave, Jamie knew there was one more thing she needed to say.

“Hannah, tell him,” Jamie said.

“What?” Hannah asked, surprised.

“Owen. Tell him how you feel. Trust me, it’s a better way to live.”

“Oh, I don’t think—“

“Tell him,” Jamie said firmly. “You might be surprised,” she said as she exited the conference room, leaving Hannah stunned and alone with her thoughts.

Owen walked Jamie and Dani out to Jamie’s car. MI5 had retrieved their items from the hotel, and he was putting everything in the trunk. He also gave them new cell phones, courtesy of MI5. Dani could tell that Jamie needed a few minutes alone with Owen, so she told Jamie she would wait in the car.

“So, I guess that’s it then,” Owen said awkwardly.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Jamie said, pulling him into a hug.

“I’m really happy for you. You know that, right?” Owen said.

“Yeah, I do. Thanks, mate. Oh, and one more thing.”

“What’s that?” Owen asked.

“Tell Hannah how you feel about her. Enough of this dancing around it. Life’s too short, especially in this line of work. To hell with the rules and regulations. Let me tell you… being loved by someone who loves you back, it’s incredible. It’s life changing. I want that for both of you. You deserve to be happy, too. So, just talk to her, ok? You might be surprised at her response,” Jamie added, winking.

Owen nodding. “You know, maybe I will. Thank you, Jamie.”

“Anytime.”

Jamie hugged him once more and then joined Dani in the car.

“Everything alright?” Dani asked.

“I think it will be, yeah,” Jamie said, smiling.

Jamie drove Dani out to Bly Manor next to pack her things and say goodbye to Miles and Flora. On the car ride over, Dani held Jamie’s hand while she drove. She figured that was just a thing they did now, whether they were being chased or not. Dani wanted to talk about what happened at MI5, but Jamie was quiet, lost in her own thoughts. She had so many questions for Jamie, but she sensed that Jamie would talk about it in her own time, so Dani would wait. At Bly, the kids greeted them both with hugs, thankful to see them both and sad that Dani would not be staying. Henry acted sheepish around them both and Jamie did her best to bite her tongue. In typical Dani fashion, she was graceful about the whole thing. Jamie helped Dani pack the few things she had in her room there and then they headed home.

On the way back, Jamie received a text from Hannah informing her that the local authorities in Italy were unable to retrieve Viola’s body. That unsettled her.

“Do you think she could have survived?” Dani asked.

“It’s unlikely anyone could have survived a fall like that. Still, it’s always better to find a body. I would feel better if they had. But, with terrain like that, it’s hard to find anything. It’s nothing we need to worry about. She gone,” Jamie said, reassuring her. They needed to put Viola behind them. She would not let her haunt their future together.

When they got home, Jamie helped Dani carry her bags in. They stood in the living room. They were quiet, the enormity of the day settling on them. Jamie seemed full of nervous energy, something Dani wasn’t used to seeing from her usually calm girlfriend.

“Jamie? What’s next?” Dani asked quietly. It was the question that had been plaguing her all day. _Where do we go from here? No one is chasing us anymore. We have no jobs. No plan. What’s next?_

“See, that’s the thing, Dani. That’s what I’ve been wanting to talk to you about all day,” Jamie said, revealing the cause of her nerves.

“Oh no,” Dani said, now worried. 

“I love you, Dani. So much. You asked me what’s next. So much, I hope. There’s all these things I want to do with you. We’re both free now. Free to do whatever we want to do. Free to be whoever we want to be.”

Dani smiled. “And what is it that you want to do?” She asked gently.

“What I want to do for the next couple of weeks is stay here in this flat with you,” Jamie began. “While we heal up from everything, I just want to talk to you. I want to know everything about you. I want to laugh with you until it hurts, about things that are only funny to us. I want to cook for you and with you. I want to watch movies under a blanket with you while we throw popcorn at each other. I want to hold you during the scary movies and kiss you during the romantic ones. I want to take you out to dinner. I want to dance with you. I want to make love to you every night and every morning. And then, in a few weeks, I want to take you all over Europe. I want to show you all the things we missed on our escape back here. I want to kiss you under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I want to kiss you on a gondola in Venice. I wan to make love to you in every city from here to Rome. I want to see the whole world with you. I want to experience everything with you.”

“Oh,” Dani said in amazement, her heart skipping just imagining it all.

“And then,” Jamie continued, “I want to go to America with you. I want to start in California and drive east. I want to hold your hand the whole way, across the whole damn country. I want to kiss you in the Grand Canyon and in Times Square. I want to kiss you on the shores of both oceans. I want to stand on the edge of the Great Lakes with you. I want to go to Disney World with you and win you a prize. I want to see everything with you. And I want us to choose a place to settle down in… together. A place to call home. I want to put roots down. I want a fresh start with you. In America. So, umm, I guess I’m just kind of wondering if you’d be interested in any of that, you know… with me?”

Dani had never seen Jamie look so vulnerable. She had put it all on the line for Dani. Every hope and dream.

Dani closed the gap between them and kissed her. “Yes, yes, I want all of that with you! I want a life with you, Jamie Taylor. And, even if we did none of those things, it would still be enough for me. Because all I want is you.”

“Yeah? Really?” Jamie said, voice full of wonder.

“Yes, I want to build a life with you. I want to do everything with you. But, I do have one condition,” Dani stated.

“Name it. Anything.”

“When we find a place to call our home, I want us to open up your flower shop. The Leafling. I would love to do that with you, if you’ll let me. That’s what I want.”

Jamie began crying. “Yes, Dani, yes,” she said, pulling Dani into a tight hug. She couldn’t believe Dani had remembered that, much less wanted to make it a reality.

“We’ll do it together,” Jamie said. “We’ll do everything together.”

“Together,” Dani repeated, hugging her tighter. “I love you so much”

“I love you, too.”

And so they began the next chapter of their adventure… together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how is everyone feeling? What did you think? I hope you enjoyed the ending. I’d really love to know!
> 
> Also, let’s talk about Viola for a quick moment... I made her fate a little bit ambiguous. For right now, please assume that she died and Jamie and Dani live happily ever after. If I decide to return to these characters, then well, Viola somehow survived and we’ll have to bring Jamie out of retirement for one last mission. We’ll just see what happens. Regardless, these characters will only ever have a happy ending. It’s what they deserve. :)
> 
> Thank you again for all your love and support. I hope this story has entertained you and brought a smile to your face. That was really my only goal. 
> 
> Much love to all of you! Let’s chat in the comments!
> 
> Until next time... :)


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